


The Devil's Own.

by lokiofvanheim



Series: Blood Red Roses [3]
Category: Finder no Hyouteki | Finder Series
Genre: AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-18
Updated: 2017-05-25
Packaged: 2018-09-17 22:50:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 55,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9349721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokiofvanheim/pseuds/lokiofvanheim
Summary: Akihito has made a pact with the devil... I mean our own smooth criminal, Asami, but how much will the piper charge to play the right tune and who will pick up the tab?





	1. Smooth Criminal.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sleepy_robin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleepy_robin/gifts), [Lainie (mislainieous)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mislainieous/gifts).



Asami lay propped up against his walnut headboard enjoying the last of his Dunhill and closer to being at peace than he had felt for months, maybe years. The boy had proved to be everything he had hoped for and more in a lover, long limbed and strong as a man but as soft and generous in his love making as any woman too. Three long, glorious sessions with the beauteous youth had proved that and, although his stamina was legendary among the elite ranks of his many previous bed partners, in the boy he had found someone who left him satisfied at last.

His perfect lover.

His.

Akihito's body lay bonelessly sprawled across the bed beside him the pale gold of his hair glowing like a halo around his sleeping face, too vulnerable in that sleep for the predator in Asami to resist.

Only one thing remained undone.

He raised himself on his elbow and rolled his tanned body to cover his little lover allowing as much of his skin to touch the pale flesh as he could without crushing him.

"Oh my god," the glittering blue of his boy's eyes squinted up at him through the thick black eyelashes." you have got to be kidding me!" 

"You are too tempting," the big man dipped his head kissing the still swollen lips in answer." I want to mark every inch of your body to remind you and everyone else wherever you go that you are mine and mine alone."

"Including my grandmother." he groaned drawing his thin hands slowly down his face.

"Kirishima will have taken her safely home," Asami comforted lowering himself further down onto the slight body beneath." she will be in bed and fast asleep."

"And your Aunt." the boy bemoaned rolling his eyes." You plied me with champagne!"

"Mmm," the bigger man pressed another, slower kiss on the boys soft mouth to stop him talking running his hand down his arm to capture one small hand and draw it up to taste it with his tongue." but it was you who drank it!"

"In front of your own Great Aunt too!" he objected, squirming partly free from under the other. "Have you no propriety?"

"None." Asami said with rare honesty before bringing his face down to the boys naked chest with another kiss following through by a rake of his razor sharp teeth along the slim ladder of his ribs.

"Uhn,!" the boy gasped arching himself up into the skilled mouth and begged without knowing for what he asked." Please!"

"Your skin is perfection," the other replied drawing the sheet down even further to expose more of it and Aki almost felt the heat of golden gaze as it raked across him and now the boy saw the unmistakable glint of the Alpha's fangs." let me taste you just once more."

"Please!" was all the boy could manage to groan again as he began to writhe up into the others hold, whether to deny his lover access or accept him was unclear even in his own mind.

"Hush now, kitten." the harsh voice growled in his ear before Akihito felt the hot tongue lathe along the line of his jugular." Just lay still for me now."

"Asami!" but he could no longer hold back as he moaned long and low when the others big hand slipped behind his head to tangle in his wild hair and pull it back to expose the long column of his throat.

"Mine." the Alpha snapped as sharply as the fangs that sliced into translucent skin and allowed the ruby flow of the boy's blood to run free.


	2. Je regret rien.

The next time Aki slowly slipped back into wakefulness he had to open and close his eyes a few times before he could convince himself that the crack of light that showed between the thick curtains was undeniably daylight. It also took him a moment or two to realise what the warm hard wall he rested against was. Tucked securely into the safety of the crook of Asami's arm he reached up to gently run curious finger tips along the thickly layered muscles that ran surprisingly gracefully across his ribs. He ached in all the right places he realised as he lay back on the familiar softness of the silk sheets and breathed in the primeval scents of their passion slow and deep through his nose.

He realised too for the first time ever what it was like to wake up in the arms of.. and his thoughts hesitated before they finished their musings...a lover.

Good.

It felt good (except for a slightly aching head).

Asami was demanding and stronger than even the deliciously displayed sheets of muscles promised but not altogether ungenerous in the giving of pleasure either. For all the big Alpha took and controlled their nights pleasures he had seemed to wish to share their passion rather than demand it all for himself. Even when the boy had allowed him to feed the man had not lost control and had stopped drinking from him with their mutual completion without being forced, a feat he could scarcely believe a regular vampire capable of.

He had been impressed.

Akihito had also been swept up and away by the river of the bigger mans assured skills but he found that he regretted nothing in their fevered coupling. In fact he had learned so many things about the giving and receiving of carnal delights that his head reeled in a dizzying overload of memories and his fingers stilled their explorations on the others tanned chest.

"Don't stop." Asami's growl was liquid gravel.

"Hmmm," Aki said beginning his soft investigations again before pausing and gently prodding at the others hard stomach." you do not have a six pack, you have an eight pack. I have never even heard of such a thing!"

"And you, my little wildcat," and the man dipped his head to demand a lugubrious kiss." have skin so smooth and white it is as if you have a snow drift instead of a belly."

"Ha, hey, ha," the boy said as the slow kiss was followed by a sharp nip on a tender bud that caused him to try, halfheartedly, to pull away with a smile as the others black hair trailed up his chest." stop it, that tickles!"

"Hmm." Asami pulled the slight body closer as he licked along the others throat until the flat of his tongue came to rest on the raised heat of his feeding site of the night before.

"Asami?" Akihito breathed and stilled.

"Does it still hurt?" the other asked quietly pulling back to watch the beautiful face for the truth.

"It aches a little," the boy replied thoughtfully raising his own fingers to the mark." but as you know the pain of the initial bite soon passes."

"That night your bite did not hurt," the gold of the older mans gleamed in the dim light." it burned like an chilli powder but after... It was unique."

"It was unique," Aki said slowly." in that you lived."

"Lived?" The big body tensed slightly." Do not forget that I am the Alpha here, pup."

"And I am..." the boy started his voice growing louder but then looked away.".. I am glad that you lived."

Asami's phone vibrated on the low dresser beside the bed before he could respond and he raised himself on an elbow before he swiped it up knowing only something urgent would make his staff call on his personal number. He watched the boy as he drew away from him and demurely pull the sheet around his narrow waist before, with coltish grace, he made his way towards the en suite.

"Yes, Kirishima?" he rolled onto his back with an outgoing huff of breath. More shipping problems overnight demanded his attention he learned and with a curse he reluctantly agreed to meet his second in command in the office. His business would have to come before the pleasures he had only just begun to sample with his boy but they would have tonight and every other night to find out more about each other if he had his way. Asami rose and the sight of his slender young lover made the pit of his stomach clench as the boy returned now clad only in one towel while scrubbing at his unruly hair with another.

"What?" the boy said blushing once more at the intensity of the others stare and ducking his head to check if he had left something disgusting on himself by mistake.

"It was Kirishima," Asami clenched his jaw to stop his fangs dropping and to harden his resolve and not just pounce on his delicious visitor again." I have go to work."

"Oh, good." but was that disappointment in his voice the man wondered?" I have to go too."

"You," he said standing and the boy dropped his eyes from the man's unabashed nakedness." will be staying here."

" I," The blue eyes flashed with rebellion instantly" will be on my way."

"Do not start all that again." Asami growled holding up his hand for silence." If you would check your phone then my Aunt says your Grandmother has organised with you for us all to lunch together."

Aki broke off glaring at the bigger man to cast around the room angrily for his phone, kicking aside the bedding and clothing liberally strew across the floor in his search. Asami drew in a deep breath, taken aback by how easily the boy could kindle his anger for someone who was desperately clasping one of his best Egyptian cotton towels in an attempt to retain a semblance of dignity. The crimelord felt the unfamiliar tug of a smile at his lips as the boy scurried by studiously avoiding looking at his own exposed flesh as he went in search of his missing mobile in the sitting room. Asami could not resist following him to lean nonchalantly on full display in the doorway as the other's hunt continued although he knew that he himself had placed it the night before with his watch in the bowl beside the front door for that very purpose.

After all, why would he want to interrupt such a delightfully performed drama played out by his new favourite object of desire while he was still so under dressed?

"Where the fuck are you," the boy was muttering as he rifled among the sofa cushions with one hand, the other still clamped on the loose knot of the towel." you useless heap of crap?"

There was definitely a smile sitting on the crimelords face now and it felt almost pleasurable.

"And what are you grinning at, bastard?" the boy grumped staring into his eyes unwaveringly to avoid seeing anything risquer. 

"I don't know but it is staring back!" he answered with an amused snort at his own joke that he had neither used nor thought of in twenty and more years. 

Akihito stopped his rummaging and looked over to him with what was probably a vitriolic jibe in return on his lips but he suddenly stilled his expression changing like wind on water from angry to thoughtful to surprise to thoughtful again.

"Actually," the boy said his face brightening like the sun coming out from behind clouds to display a sparklingly white toothy grin." that was quite funny!" 

Watching the fleeting emotions and the final blooming of mirth caught Asami like a beast in headlights unable to either move or look away as the scene played out. In his world emotions were dangerous in themselves and were rigorously suppressed by any in his business. 

And to display them so openly as this boy did? 

Suicidal. 

Akihito was still grinning at him like the fool he was though and Asami could not help but to be drawn in by his infectious good humour. The boy hitched up his makeshift kilt once again as he gave one last glance around the big room and then sauntered past him as if without a care in the world. 

"Cover it up, big boy, we have no time for any of.." he waved a thin hand towards the taller man's nakedness without looking down. ".. that. If we have a lunch date with our esteemed elders you had better hurry up." 

"First," The tall man followed the boy with his eyes as he crouched to look under the bed for his phone. " I must meet with Kirishima while you wait with Suoh."

"First," the slight body bent at an angle that only the young can." you need a shower and then I might accept a lift to lunch from you. Might." 

"Oh, I need a shower do I?" his amusement in watching the youth sharpening into something more physical as the sleek white sickle of his thigh slipped into view from beneath the towel as the other moved." And you are such a fashionista all of a sudden?"

"Perhaps not that," he said glancing over at the nude man with a wicked little smirk of his own." but you are still wearing the evidence of our nights passion, so to speak, and that is not going anywhere near my grandmother!"

Before Asami could reply the boy had added a slight compulsive nudge to his suggestion and the tall man's immaculate brows rose in the beginning of a reproach. His phone rattled again on its stand though so he went to answer it and he was still listening to Kirishima as he walked obediently towards his bathroom leaving the boy, still smiling, to his fruitless search.

"Do you know your cupboards are bare?" Aki demanded as Asami reemerged and entered his walk in wardrobe.

"Cupboards?" the man said selecting a white shirt and a vivid blue tie that struck him on a whim as resembling his boy's eyes.

"Cupboards, as in food cupboards." the boy stammered, trying (but not very hard Asami noted smugly) and failing to stare with round eyes at the acres of well muscled flesh still exposed on his host's toned body. " Pans and plates galore and I have no idea what half your kitchen gadgets even do but not even a bag of rice flour! Even I keep a bagful of rice flour in my cupboard, well mostly!"

"And why would I need a bag of rice flour?" the man said drawing a shirt on and reluctantly covering the view that the boy had been so enjoying." The fridge should be stocked and if there is not enough there for your impressive appetite, kitten, then you may order in anything that takes your fancy from one of my staff."

"Well I," and here he paused for effect, hands on hips with eyes rolling and Asami had to firmly suppress the sudden desire to kiss the pink of those angrily pursed lips." fancied making us some fresh pancakes!"

"You would have made pancakes?" the man stopped buttoning his shirt and stared at Akihito with flat golden eyes." For me?"

"Well, yes," the boy said his thin fingers suddenly fidgeting nervously under the others intense gaze before finishing his sentence with a rush." not that you have any honey to put on them anyway, of course."

"Ah, and now you have ruined it." Asami said looking away, glad his face was well enough schooled through years of experience to hide the pleased surprise he had felt that the little blond would want to do something so personal for him." Honey belongs in the nursery."

"Are you calling me a kid, you great mooch?" the boy said any hint of embarrassment immediately elbowed roughly aside by outrage. Asami smiled inside now safely back in the familiar territory of tormenting the short fused blond who stomped away to slide on his converses.

"Not exactly," he said slipping in his solid gold cuff links before tweaking a final adjustment to his tie." considering what my plans are for you later!"


	3. Duty calls.

If they made an odd pair then the guards were far too well trained and loyal to Sion to turn a hair as the two exited the apartment some time later and made for the elevator. Bowing low when their boss granted them a nod of acknowledgement and maintaining that posture as the big man held the doors open for a furiously blushing Aki to enter.

"Oh, my god," the boy muttered as soon as the doors slid shut on them." that was mortifying!"

Asami raised a sleek eyebrow in enquiry.

"The walk of shame?" Aki said looking up at his companions blank face.

"You," the other ran a long finger down his soft cheek then dipped forward to take a deep kiss." have nothing to be ashamed off before my men." 

"Do you even do shame?" the blonde grumbled pulling away with a gasp as the taller man straightened and ruffled his hair affectionately as he did so. Aki was still scrubbing his hand across his mouth and running his fingers through his hair, vainly trying to tame it as the doors slid silently open. Asami swept out as impeccable as ever into the wide reception of what he could see was an administration area he had never visited before and he could just imagine the dishevelled spectacle he made to the variety staff that plied their trade here.

"Suoh?" Asami beckoned the man as they passed where the huge man was talking to an efficient looking middle aged woman behind a desk. Aki dropped back when the man came to walk beside them and then trailed behind them like a reluctant teenager behind his parents, feeling too out of place and scruffy in his second day worn blue shirt to look up at any of the smartly dressed people they passed.

Kirishima was already in the big office when they walked through a big door that stood at the end of the main space. He was talking into a phone with one hand and seemed to be scrolling through a file displayed on the large computer screen on the desk with his other and only nodded at them when they entered without breaking off his call. Asami did not go to sit behind the desk as Aki expected but instead keyed into a code machine beyond where his secretary stood and a wide door opened into another room. The tall man pushed the door wider and placed a broad hand on the smaller mans back to usher him in ahead of him before he and his two seconds followed.

"Wow," Aki paused as the others filled past him staring at the sleek luxury of the room from the enormous wooden desk with its state of the art computer set up to the floor to ceiling windows that Asami seemed to favour so much. "this is something else."

None of the much taller men acknowledged the comment so he walked over to look at the view which while it might not be as spectacular as the penthouses was still fantastic, looking straight down a wide avenue towards the park beyond. The others were talking behind him in low quick sentences whose shorthand and context he could make nothing of even when he briefly listened in.

"Akihito," Asami had approached him silently a while later making him jump slightly." you will wait here with Suoh while I finalise a little business before we leave for lunch."

"I don't need a babysitter!" the blue eyes narrowed angrily. 

"Tsk, always so firey," the man said calmly ignoring the outburst and taking another lungful of his cigarette before continuing." Suoh will bring you something to eat or drink if you wish or take you to wait in the car if you prefer." 

"Can I at least use the lap top then?" he said gesturing towards the desk.  

"If it will keep you out of mischief for a while," the other agreed absently and Aki could see his mind was already on work." Suoh, will log you in." 

That was something then he thought his eyes glittering with excitement as the computer looked light years better than his own reconditioned dinosaur of a thing. After Asami exited without further comment Suoh made quick work of setting the thing up for him then vacating the lush desk chair for him to slide quickly in to it. 

"Do not touch anything you shouldn't," the huge fair haired man rumbled in a voice so deep it must have started underground." and do not change any of the settings or download anything! I will be watching you."

Aki felt a retort spring to the tip of his tongue but one look at shoulders the size of a small car shrivelled it in his throat and he dutifully slipped behind the desk and opened a tab. The first thing he did was to reset the screensaver to a picture of Pikacho blowing a raspberry and an ugly shade of puce for the background too. He then triggered it to cut in the next time the computer was turned on. That would show them for trying to push him around he thought peevishly! On the upside the speed of the internet connection was instantaneous and in moments he was luxuriating in the fastest uploads he had ever enjoyed dipping in to a dozen sites with abandon and soon forgetting the looming figure of the bodyguard and unreality of the whole situation and loosing himself on line. 

"Are you enjoying your playtime, brat?" Asami's smug voice breathing into his ear made him jump' 

"I will have you know," the boy grumbled his nimble fingers flying across the keys and the tip of his tongue sticking out from his mouth in concentration." that unless I collect these beetroots to feed to the werepigs, the shadows will incinerate me on the next level!"  

"We are ready." Asami stood back and not willing to admit that he had no idea what the blond was talking back simply pressed the off button.

"Hey!" Aki said glowering up at him angrily over the now blank screen." What is the hurry all of a sudden?"

"It is gone midday." the tall man drawled reaching into the desk draw and pocketing a fresh packet of cigarettes.

"Are you expecting lunch to be so stressful?" the boy asked with a smirk springing up as his empty stomach rumbled at the reminder of food. 

"Not for me," the tall man answered impassively taking his arm and guiding him towards the door." I am looking forward to getting to know your grandmother better."

"What does that mean?" the boy said looking back up at him suspiciously as they entered the main office.

"I am hoping for some insight," Asami looked down at him curiously in return." about the connection between your family and mine."

"That seems very simple," the boy said trying to hide that he was having to hurry slightly to keep pace with the three very tall men around him." my grandmother was brought up with your great Aunt."

"There is more than that." Aki was going to refute that but the efficient matronly that Suoh had been talking to came up to him and with a polite dip of her head handed him a substantial parcel, he glanced at Asami who in turn looked at his secretary then nodded.

"Er, thank you." Akihito said doubtfully accepting it with a confused bow. 

Kirishima nodded to the woman as the boy scuttled to catch up as Asami strode ahead. He was about to ask what was going on when their party was engulfed by the elevator once more. When the doors shut again he wondered what on earth the woman could possibly have given and peered suspiciously at it.

"Its not a bomb is it?" he asked squeezing it tentatively and feeling the softness within. 

"Open it." Asami suggested amused watching the boys face. Aki looked at him and then the shiny wrapping paper before carefully pulling back one loose edge and peering inside suspiciously. It was soft grey cloth, he pulled it further revealing a neatly folded grey sweatshirt and a pair of faded blue jeans with all their labels still attached.

"Its a sweatshirt!" the boy said holding it up in surprise and looking at the coiling silver dragon decorating the front of it." Is it yours?"

Kirishima coughed and Aki thought suspiciously like it was covering up a snort of laughter with it and Asami raised an eyebrow. 

"I do not think it would fit Asami san." The big secretary said his voice a little tight.

"It is for you," his boss said without inflection." some fresh clothing as we are eating at a respectable venue." 

"Wha.. but these are.." he stuttered waving the clothes at the big man before beginning to fold them back into their paper."..too.. well I just cannot afford them just now."

"They are nothing." Asami dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"To you perhaps," Aki said angrily." to me they would be a considerable investment." 

"Take them as a gift then." he said pleasantly surprised that the boy would not accept them and just assume that he would pay.

"I can pay my own way!" Aki said through gritted teeth and scarlet with embarrassment in front of the two guards." If you tell me how much they were I will pay you back somehow."

"Instead of money for the top," the lift slowed and the Sion CEO adjusted his tie thoughtfully looking at him with his unreadable eyes." you can make me pancakes for them."

"Pancakes?" the blondes face crumpled in confusion." I can make you pancakes for the hoodie?"

"Done!" Asami said suddenly and led the way out into the busy foyer.

Aki stood frozen in surprise for a minute before rushing to catch up with the imposing trio that seemed to have everyone trying to bow low to them as they made their way towards the exit.  

"Wait, wait!" he called after them when he realised he had been left behind and then silenced himself as heads turned to stare at him coldly. Asami and the other two did pause however and he hurried over to join them holding the bundle of clothes tightly under his arm. 

"Yes?" Asami asked patiently looking down his aquiline nose at his little lover with seeming fondness despite them being in such a public area." What is it now, Akihito?"

"It is just that," and he dropped his voice so that the tall men had to lower their heads a little to hear his words." I will need to go to the rest room to change into my new things."

The two guards stood straight again and the boy heard Kirishima gave a frustrated sigh and began to walk again towards where he could see their car parked, ready and waiting, but Asami bent lower still until his breath tickled the shell of Akihito's ear.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention that as payment for the trousers," and his deep voice made the blond shiver involuntarily as he was swept through the doors into the chilly morning air by Asami's large firm hand on his elbow." I will be helping you to change into them on the way to the restaurant when we are both comfortably settled in the back of my limousine!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a good Rabbie Burns night and do not forget to eat your Haggis, neeps and tatties to celebrate it. (They are not as bad as they sound. Honest!)


	4. Family lunch,

The garage's valet watched with admiration as the sleek Limo glided into a reserved place near the entrance and drew to a halt as two huge men got out of it's front doors. After a minute one of the back doors swung open too and a stunningly handsome gentleman alighted stretching his long back a moment before turning and reaching back into the car with an outstretched hand. Instead of the equally elegant lady he expected the person that the tall man helped from the passenger bay was a long limbed boy who looked like he would be more comfortable on a skatepark. The boy staggered slightly as he stepped out, his hair was dishevelled and his face so rosy red that the attendant wondered if he was the others little brother whom he had caught drinking. Whatever their story the well dressed man balanced the rather unsteady boy with a firm hand on his arm and the pair made their way towards the elevators to the upper levels with the other two men in close attendance.

Upstairs Sudoh Shuu knew exactly who the three men were as he waited with barely contained excitement at the entrance to the dining rooms of Dracena to welcome them. He had scarcely been able to concentrate on the preparations he normally oversaw with a rod of iron since he had received the unexpected booking for an exclusive table under the name of Asami. He checked over his impeccable white suit and carefully styled and freshly tinted hair in the long mirrors beside the doorway one last time to make sure that he could not fail to make an impression on his boss and occasional bed partner. Well not much bed as....but that was just one the first stages of Sudoh Shuu's plans and given his perfect looks and dedication then entry to the great Asami's actual bed would surely soon be his.

The doors opened and Sudoh felt excited anticipation tingle through him right down to his toes as the unmistakable frame of Kirishima Kei exited first before he was followed by that horribly disrespectful lump of a bodyguard, Suoh. The restaurant manager gritted his teeth into a welcoming smile although he had long determined that these two overgrown moochs would be the first to go when his beloved Ryuchi installed him in his rightful place at his side. These two irritating men rarely let Sudoh within an arms length of their boss and he knew they despised him although it was obvious both to himself and he was sure to everyone else that HE was the perfect partner for his boss. Of course Asami had to play their relationship down for the sake of security he knew and he had had to wait patiently until whatever pressing business had kept the great man from organising a further 'date' had been resolved. Surely his patience was about to be rewarded and that keenly awaited invitation was the reason that his Ryuchi was dining here today.

"Oh, Asami saaaan," he cooed in what he hoped were irresistible tones as the great man himself strode out of the elevator behind the big idiots." I am sooo glad you have chosen to dine with me today."

Cold yellow eyes turned on Sudoh and their ice sent a shiver of delicious anticipation through his veins as they flickered across him so he dipped into a deferential bow so low that his head was at knee height as he enjoyed the view of Asami's gorgeous Italian leather loafers.

But what were these? 

Bedraggled red sand shod feet were near his beloved's. He straightened out of his bow so quickly that his perfectly enamelled teeth clicked together and his eyes widened in shock and then dismay. How had this little guttersnipe got through security and worst of all how had he got so close to Asami that he was almost touching him?

"I am so, so sorry, Asami san!" he said lunging round his hero to grab the scruffy boys thin arm and knocking him backwards away from the Yakuza party and to the ground in one lunge calling out as he did." Security!"

"Oomph!" gasped the little trash as it landed and had the audacity to start to wriggle when Sudoh began to drag it backwards towards the exit by the collar of its hoodie." Hey!"

"LET. HIM. GO." the command snapped out sharply as he was thrown away from the prostrate boy and hard against the elevator doors with a resounding clang. The dapper manager struggled to sit and stared around him for his attacker but when he found himself looking down the well polished barrels of three guns in some ways wished he hadn't.

"That vermin must have crawled in somehow!" he croaked when he looked beyond the pistols and up at Asami and his two goons, fearful suddenly at the death he saw in their cold eyes. Had they used that hefty compulsion on him mistakenly thinking he had been posing a threat to them somehow? " I was only going to throw him out!"

Asami's icy gaze broke from his imploring one as he used the wall to scrabble up and turned to the interloper instead.

Good, now his master would see what a great job he had actually been doing in protecting the sanctity of his personal space. The boy would be sure to suffer, maybe, and Sudoh licked his lips in anticipation at the thought, even loose his life horribly for intruding into the violent world that this great man lived in. Maybe he would even be allowed to watch the waif's demise to make up for the indignity he had suffered!

An old woman had appeared at the boys side and he could barely believe his eyes as he watched as the great Asami himself crouched down beside the floored youth too. That could not be right, surely he, the hero, was the one who should be receiving aide not the waif!

"Aki, darling," the lady was saying smoothing back a revolting mop of pallid hair from an admittedly pretty face." are you all right?"

"Fine, I'm fine." The little blond was saying waving a hand around seemingly to brush of his potential saviours." Nothing hurt but my ego."

"Up then," his Ryuchi was actually speaking with the boy and his wickedly delicious voice held something he had never heard in it before and in what from any other lips might have been concern. "and let us see."

No, no this could not be! Sudoh watched in disbelief as his Ryuchi slid a hand around the shabby creature's scrawny arm and carefully, yes unmistakably carefully, helped him back on to his feet. The old woman was tutting around him and dusting him down - as if there would be any dust on his Dracena's floors - and clucking like a mother hen over him.

"This kind of thing," she complained and as she glanced his way he saw the unmistakable metallic glint of a vampire." is exactly why I did not want you to come to the city!"

"Really, grandmother," the boy was insisting looking over at Sudoh with the most startling blue eyes he had ever seen. He made a mental note to drop in to the opticians to acquire a set of contact lens in that exact shade straight after work." I am sure it was just a little misunderstanding. Is the hu... the man all right."

"He is nothing," His boss said cold eyes raking over to his employee briefly and although his heart twinged in pain at his Ryuchi's casual dismissal of him he comforted himself that it was undoubtedly for his own safety. Loved ones such as he must be protected at all costs from publicity as enemies were attracted to men like the crime lord like bees to, in this case, his honey pot." Kirishima will deal with it. Come let us be seated." 

Sudoh watched with a tight chest as his man escorted the other two away and into the dining room only registering dimly that he must have words with the doorman about tightening up the dress code if he had allowed the little scruff in an old hoodie and jeans in to HIS restaurant as he realised the other two must be diners. He hoped that they would be suitably honoured by the attentions of the restaurant owner himself. 

"What were you thinking off, peacock?" Kirishima's deep voice using that hateful nickname broke his line of thought." You will report to me in the morning." 

"Humf," he said feigning indifference but really watching them with relief as the two great thugs put away their guns." like I care a fig about some little scarecrow's and that crone's opinion!"

"That 'scarecrow'," the big secretary leaned in too close to him as if sharing a secret." and his grandmother are Asami san's luncheon guests, Sudoh." 

"Wha.." that silenced him for a moment his thoughts whirring." business guests? For business, Kirishima san?"

Sudoh got no answer but watched as the now slightly smiling damned, deadly penpusher followed his master like the pet dog he was. He was interested in what the man had had to say though. Asami was entertaining guests was he and the old woman at least was Vamp although he was pretty certain from what he had seen of young blond looker he wasn't. It was something he was very much looking forward to becoming when he took his place at Ryuchi's side though and at his hand (or more specifically tooth). He returned to the mirrors and saw with a sigh that a light line of dust was smeared along the white sleeve of his uniform so he made for his office to change into one of many fresh ones he kept there for just such an occasion. He must always look his best for his, soon to be, fiance after all.

When he emerged again he looked good, very good, he thought as he glanced in the reception mirrors when he returned. The new shade for his hair was called Bondi and now he thought of the Australian beach, it would be a great venue for the wedding if he had not already set his heart on the White Chapel in Las Vegas. He imagined himself for a minute, both he and Ryuchi all dressed to the nines, it was going to be sooo romantic.  

Bondi would have to wait till the honeymoon then although he couldn't swim in the sea of course as it would play havoc with his skin and...

Oh my God, it might even turn his new hair colour green!

But there was always his speedo's to sunbathe in he thought with a smug smile and Ryuchi too. Yum!

And the lifeguards, don't forget those gorgeous bronzed lifeguards, there might be time for a little late night tryst or two with a few of them to liven things up a bit when it got a bit dull!

With that pleasant mental image still in his mind and freshly prepped he headed into the dining area to find the Asami table. He was slightly surprised when he checked the seating plan and found that the party of four had chosen a window table but not in the southern side but by the more secluded west window instead. Not the placing he would chosen for his intended but... There were now two old women with his boss as well as that embarrassment of a boy at the sunny table and Sudoh watched them while they were served their lunch by one of his waiters. The guests looked unlikely business associated he realised although the taller woman certainly had 'presence' and both had an understated elegance that, in his experience, could suggest old money. The annoyingly pretty boy, the small Vamps grandson, was seated beside Asami and was staring out of the window at the ornate tea garden laid out for their clientele to enjoy with obvious delight with one palm flat against the window and talking animatedly to the others. Perhaps he was simple thought Sudoh gleefully, time to move in on them anyway. 

"Ah, Asami san." he said moving swiftly to stand as close as was seemly to the great man's seat, a saccharin smile plastered across his face.

However to his disappointment his boss did not even acknowledge him, his attention seeming to be focused on the little blond sitting at his side instead but the smaller woman looked back at him though, with hard unfriendly eyes.

"After we eat then?" the boy asked half standing as if he were trying to see the carp that graced the big pond beyond the glass.

"If you wish." the big man replied indulgently and the boy smiled obviously delighted with whatever had been arranged and Sudoh thought smugly that he had been right then, it seemed the youth really was a simpleton.

"Asami san," Sudoh tried again and moved a bit closer. " I hope you are being well taken care off?

"Its all great, thank you." the boy piped up unexpectedly looking over to him with bright, kindly blue eyes." Are you Ok, that was quite a fall?"  

"Wha..." the manager said staring at the other blond, he didn't sound like a fool now and he saw Asami raise a summoning hand without even looking at him.

"This way." a low voice sounded in his ear and a huge hand clasped around his upper arm possibly creasing his fresh jacket and he looked up into the expressionless features of Suoh.  

"Wha..." his words failing him as he was suddenly being ushered away from the table until a minute later he squawked." Get your hands off me!"

"The boss," the man mountain rumbled as he was escorted back to his reception area." is having a quiet family meal."

"You cant treat me like that, you oaf!" Sudoh spat out angrily." This is MY restaurant!"

"Never, ever forget," Kirishima continued gruffly appearing out of nowhere at Sudoh's elbow." that this is Asami sans restaurant, peacock!"

"But, Kirishima san, " he whined brushing out the creases that the big hand had indeed left behind but he was not foolish enough to disrespect the notorious secretary." I always serve Asami personally."

"Their orders have already been delivered to the chef," Kirishima informed him." and now they are to have privacy."

"What is going on?" the manager said struggling to deal with not being welcome even serve his beloved as was usual." Who even are these people?"

Neither of the bigger men answered as they returned to their stations, Kirishima already on his phone within sight of the door and Suoh to his master's shoulder. Sudoh pretended to busy himself with a stack of menu's as he began to fume, what right had any of them to try and keep him away from his Ryuchi's side? It was plain to anyone with eyes that what with his beauty and charm and the Yakuza's power and money, they  were made for each other! He slapped down a wine list angrily, he was made of sterner stuff than to be put off by those two muscle heads! Sudoh knew the layout of Dracena like the back of his hand and if he hurriedly moved to stand behind the bit of the bar behind the third table on the eastern curve of the restaurant.

"Yes," he muttered to himself, determined to find out as much as possible about his guests and from here he could get a relatively unobstructed view of the Asami's table and the odd assortment of diners who sat there." perfect, now let us see if we can figure out what all this is about."

The blond man settled himself to polish glasses, as far back in the shadows as he could so that few could see him and certainly not those he was spying on as they had two windows and the carp pond spread out between them. The party was talking and relaxed as far as he could make out , he could see the smaller woman and the pale boy more clearly as they were at the window seats with the other two behind them. The woman and the boy were undeniably kin as both shared build and mannerisms but the tall woman held a different stamp, as he stared he thought that her long aquiline nose held a feminine likeness to Asami's own, could she be the family element to the meal that that idiot, Suoh, had mentioned?

Sudoh could see the boy almost bouncing in his seat with excitement as he was served his lobster and, although he struggled to believe it, it seemed that Asami's usually unreadable expression seemed to be somewhat softer than he was used to seeing it. He shifted uneasily, softness and his erstwhile lover were not two words that he had ever linked together before yet as he watched the man seemingly helping the stupid boy it became clear that is what he could see resting on those handsome features. Stranger yet, he thought polishing the shot glass in his hand furiously as he watched, was that although all at the table were joining in the conversation it was the youngster that held the older man's attention for almost all of the time. 

The boys napkin fell against the window as they ate and he reached down between the table end and the glass to pick it up tousling his long pale hair as he did. Sudoh's mouth fell open a bit and he stopped his polishing when his Ryuchi used an elegant finger to sweep a few errant locks out of the boys eyes when he sat back up again. Worse the boy dipped his damnably pretty head in embarrassment and he saw a definite smile on the Yakuza's mouth as he watched!

No, no, this could not be happening!

That filthy little scum bag of a bishonen was flirting with his fiance!

Even as Sudoh watched, fixed now with morbid fascination, the boy reached forward for his drink - bad enough that he now saw he was drinking a can of soda in Dracena,( straight from the can and without a glass no less!) - but jolted it clumsily enough that a small fountain of it landed in his lap. His grandmother jumped up to help him with her napkin at the ready but to his horror Asami was faster, moping at the spilled liquid and holding the small body in his seat before the boy could rise to his feet. The ladies settled back in their seats and Sudoh could see them exchange a small smile as the man dealt efficiently with the spillage and the boy just sat passively and let him.

And then Sudoh's hand convulsed on the glass he held, shattering it in a hail of splinters. Undeniably, below the table and hidden from the view of the two women, the long hand of his intended slid in a tender slow sweep along the boys slender thigh to come to rest on his knee and still holding the napkin, remained clasped possessively there. 

This could not be so, the man's obvious fondness of the young blond and his familiarity with the boys body undeniably screamed lover at him, a harsh betrayal of his own aspirations.

Then the boy turned looking out at the carp again as they swam and this time and the very breath froze in Sudoh's throat. The boy's sweatshirt he could see now was not the worthless item he had first judged it to be at all, it was in fact priceless and Sudoh himself would have given his right arm to wear it. Curled in a twisting circle on the narrow chest was the symbol that all Asami's many products and every one of his sworn staff had tattooed on their flesh when they took the oath of loyalty to Sion, the silver dragon of the house of Asami.

To Sudoh, and anyone else who understood such things at all, it was a sure sign that the blond belonged to Sion Incorporated.

And by default therefore, he was clearly marked as the property of Asami Ryuchi too!


	5. Lobster.

Asami had very much enjoyed their journey to the restaurant that his aunt had chosen to meet them for lunch, it was one of his own although he rarely frequented it but he had seen that the books were healthy and that was a good enough recommendation. He was still enjoying himself when Kirishima expertly drew the vehicle to a halt in the underground car park and was less than happy to have to re adjust Aki's clothing into a semblance of order as that meant hiding all his irresistible pale flesh. He also did up his own shirt buttons as the boy still seemed to be in a pleasant daze after his 'change of clothes' and Asami could not hold back a possessive surge when he saw his dragon emblazoned on the others chest. He pushed open the car door and pulled himself out, stretching to iron out the kinks the acrobatics he had just preformed in the confines of its interior had put into his thirty five year old spine. Leaning back in again he grasped the delicate fingers that he had been so enjoying minutes before and helped Aki out and on to his feet although the boy was understandably slower to recover from their little game than he.

"Come on, kitten," he encouraged the slightly dazed lad into the elevator with a steadying hand on his arm and a small smirk on his lips." the lobster here is famous so you are in for a different treat for your taste buds shortly."

The lift doors opened and they followed their bodyguards out into the reception area, he felt his lip curl in disgust at who was waiting for them. The ex model with the swollen ego who had diverted him briefly and inadequately on a couple of occasions greeted them, what was his name?

He smirked internally. 

Shirley?

Sharon?

The brassy blond head was bowing low before him and he narrowly avoided acting on the urge to bowl him over as he passed but instead he focused on the small figure of grandmother Takaba waving from the door beyond them. Asami missed what happened next but in a moment the offensive manager had somehow tackled a surprised Aki straight off his feet in an apparently unprovoked lunge To his outrage his boy landed heavily on his rump under the heavier blond but as he reached to grab them the manager was flung hard against the elevators metal doors by what could only be a mighty compulsive order whether from Aki or his grandmother he could not tell.

His finger hung eagerly on his trigger a second later alongside those of his two seconds and only seeing Aki's grandam trying to help the boy up distracted him. He would deal with the jumped up fancy man later, he had more important people to be with first.

"Fine I am fine!" he heard the boy protesting to his relief.

"Up then!" he said easily hoisting the others little body nearly of his feet and ushering his two guests towards the seating area as Aki tried to offer help to the idiot waiter, leaving Kirishima to deal with any fall out.

He scanned the tables and being much taller than his companions he saw his Aunt over the busy dining room raise an elegant hand to draw his attention to a quiet window table looking out onto the gardens beyond so he guided the two Takaba's towards her. The women embraced warmly and he watched the boy quietly slip over into the window seat, seemingly none the worse for wear, while he held out the chairs for the ladies to be seated.

"How are you feeling today, Akihito?" his landlady enquired politely when they were all settled except for Asami who had gone to speak in low tones with Kirishima.

"Oh, I am fine," he said gathering his thoughts away from the waiters unexpected behaviour after a moment." I am sorry about being so rude yesterday evening."

"You were not exactly rude, dear," the tall woman sympathised." you just dozed off."

"Anyway, my apologies," he insisted." I am just a lightweight when it comes to champagne it seems."

"We all live and learn," his grandmother added leaning across the table to pat his hand sympathetically." its just that we have have had a lot longer at it than you, sweetheart."

"I hope Ryuchi took good care of you, child." the man's aunt continued looking over to where her nephew stood.

"Absolutely," Aki said quickly looking out of the window and hoping his blush had not reached her notice." I slept like a log after.... we.. got settled into his apartment."

"I have ordered lobster as you asked and you were right, Aunt Miz," the tall man said seating himself beside the boy." it is the chef's signature dish."

A smartly dressed waiter came and adjusted their settings for their order and then politely asked them what they would like to drink but where the rest of the table decided on a bottle of dry white wine to enjoy with their meal Aki asked for an cola. The waiter repeated his words as if it were unusual but he brazened it out and nodded an affirmative. Once bitten twice shy he resolved and following the lead of his fellow diners he unfurled his serviette and carefully placed it over the knee of his new jeans. 

The women were reminiscing about the sad decline of the old ways and it amused Aki how polite and civilised Asami was being, adding a nod or an occasional word where appropriate. The conversation paused as the waiter returned with their meal, the lobsters eyes seemed to be watching Aki so he stared right back at them determined not to show anyone that they were to be his first. So close up they looked like small creatures from some old monster movie, all feelers and too many legs. The waiter began to serve out the vegetables but Asami took the tongs from him and waved a hand to dismiss him before beginning to serve the rest of the table himself and the boy looked out of the window to avoid the sea creature's opaque eyes only half following the others conversation. His eye was caught by movement out in the garden and he looked to see who might be out walking in this chilly weather but there did not seem to be anyone visible although as he looked away he saw the water of the pond move and a lovely golden fin break the surface.

"Carp!!" he cried half rising to his feet in excitement.

"We have already ordered lobster, dear." his landlady informed him in a kindly tone and gesturing towards the creatures as everyone at the table turned to look at him.

"No, out there in the water!" he said staring out at the grey surface his voice high with excitement."Koi, I am sure I saw one!"

"Probably, dear," she continued raising her eyebrows." should there not be?"

"I have never seen a real one up close!" the blond turned eyes sparkling with excitement to his fellow diner's and pressing closer to the glass to try and catch another glimpse of fin." Can we go out and see them?"

"The food would get cold." Asami said serving a lobster skillfully onto his plate, his eyes softened with amusement at the others over enthusiasm at something that to him was mundane.

"Ah Asami san?" a mellifluous voice said and Aki turned to find the unfortunate waiter from the elevator standing at the tall man's elbow although he was giving him a condescending look and still seemed rather unfriendly.

"After we eat then?" he asked Asami trying to control his excitement.

"If you wish" and Aki wished that he could have appeared more sophisticated in front of the beautifully presented staff member although it seemed that Asami had failed to notice because the handsome man had to repeat himself.

"Asami san," the other tried again." I hope you are being well taken care off?"

The moment of silence lengthened without acknowledgement, why was Asami being so rude to the poor fellow? The mistaken fall as they arrived he realised as his feisty grandmother shot the unfortunate man an unfriendly glare and Aki felt a pang of sympathy for the poor waiter.

"It's all great, thank you." he said as he saw Asami raise his hand as if in a summons, surely the big man had noticed the other by now? Confused now, he continued." Are you Ok? That was quite a fall."

"Wha..?" the man just had time to say when Kirishima said something quietly in the waiters ear and manoeuvred him away from their table.

Odd, Aki thought, but maybe there was an emergency in the kitchen before his grandmother pulled one of the big claws off of his lobster and held it out to him. He looked at it and then her in consternation.

"You open it like this." Asami said attacking his crustacean with vigour and splitting open the shell to show Aki how to access the goodness therein. Tentatively at first he followed the others movements but with the deliciousness of the white meat as an incentive he soon was attacking it with enthusiasm, the waiter forgotten. He made rather a mess around his plate but Asami did not seem to mind retrieving the odd escaping claw that landed on his lap and the boy caught the man smiling at least twice as he tackled the lobster with great relish if little skill. Aki's face and hands soon became covered with butter and juices and when he looked around for his serviette until he saw it had become lodged between their table and the window. Bending to retrieve it his hair was brushed forward into eyes and he had started to use his sticky fingers to shove it away.

"Stop! I will fix it,"  Asami pushed his hand back with an audible huff and groomed the straying strands back into place himself." unless you wish to smell like a fish market for the rest of the day."

Aki was so taken aback by the surprisingly kindly expression on the normally impassive face, that as he reached for his drink to resume his meal he knocked the cola can hard enough to send a splash some into his lap.

"Oh, Aki." his grandmother said rising quickly with her serviette at the ready but Asami was there before her holding him in place while he mopped up the spilt soda with efficiency normally reserved for a mother clearing up their toddler. Akihito felt stupid enough as he just accepted his lover's without seeing the two ladies exchange an indulgent smile. His work done the tall man sat back into his seat and Aki let out a dispirited sigh looking at the debris he had wrought on his lunch. Really, he thought miserably, dropping everything and covering himself and even Asami with lobster, they should not have allowed somebody as uncultured as he loose in a classy place like this, his fellow diners must think of him as an idiot.

He tensed feeling a pressure on his leg and glancing down he tried not to gawp as he watched Asami's long fingers slide slowly along his thigh to rest on his knee, giving it a squeeze of what the little blond could only interpret as reassurance. His face flamed again and he bit his tongue in a thankfully successful attempt to hold in a surprised squeak at the contact.

What was Asami thinking?

What if their two relatives saw the sly move?

Oh, my god, he thought what if they can read something is up in my expression and he swiftly turned his scarlet face to the garden in fear of discovery.Asami of course seemed to feel no guilt, his own face seeming as calm and self contained as ever as he picked up the bottle of white wine in his free hand and offered his aunt a refill.

Bastard! 

"Thank you, dear," his aunt smiled as her nephew poured her wine." I must say that you have done a very nice job with this restaurant and am I to understand that your other business's are booming too."

"Well enough, aunt." the tall man agreed filling his own glass. 

"And are you still enjoying city life, Aki?" his grandmother queried taking a sip of her's.

"Most of it," Aki said quickly, flipping at the ring pull on his can nervously." you know I lead a very quiet life really."

"Miz was telling me that you still have to work difficult hours."

"Well it comes with the territory really," the boy said vaguely." most of the events I cover are in the evenings."

"That is how you two boys met isn't it?" the small woman looked across the table at them thoughtfully.

"Pretty much." the boy tried to keep his voice casual but really thinking about the evening he met his subsequent lover.

"And I was wondering," Asami asked too politely and Aki quickly took a slug of his fizzy orange as the atmosphere shifted slightly colder." how you and my aunt met, madam?"

"None of that, Ryuchi, remember who you are talking to." the widow told him sharply." I have told you that we have always been friends as have our families for generations."

"And nothing more?"

"In dangerous times we have always depended on each other," The old lady leaned back as her nephew watched her thoughtfully." even before the Edo times."

"Is there more to it than that?" the tall man persisted.

"Our families have been together through good times and bad." Madam Takaba nodded in agreement. "We vampires have had some difficult times over the years."

"And?" Asami prompted.

"Long ago, I chose," the little woman continued." to remove Akihito and I from those tensions after his parent's deaths, to keep him safe.""

"And yet," the man replied somewhat icily although keeping his grip on the others knee." I meet him running wild around Tokyo's dark streets."

"Hey, hardly," Aki objected." I was on a story!"

"He is a man grown," the old woman's eyes snapped metal." and despite my best attempt, I could not dissuade him." 

"I do know," Asami said quietly continuing to soothingly massage the boys leg as he tried to move it away." that Akihito isn't a true vampire."

"A true vampire?" His aunt said sharply." I think you will find he is something more than that."

"Hey, I am still here you know!" Aki said becoming increasingly offended by the way everyone was talking about him rather than to him.

"Of course, dear," his grandmother agreed sympathetically and although her words were meant kindly they irked him more." it is all just a bit complicated."

"Why?" he blurted out." Is it because I am a kyuketsuki?"


	6. Ah, families!

"Akihito!" his grandmother snapped at him as three pairs of surprised eyes turned on him and Aki felt himself blush for the umpteenth time. He snapped his mouth shut but it was too late and the words were almost visible as they hung above the table. He ducked his head to avoid there stares and drew his knee sharply away from under Asami's comforting hand.

"Well is it?" he finished with a mumble.

"Oh, Akihito." the old woman said more quietly and when he glanced over, her eyes seemed unusually wet he jumped up and was round the table and was on his knee beside her in a moment.

"I am sorry, Grandmother," he mumbled grasping a wizened hand in his thin ones and looking up at Asami in concern." but there is no harm done, Asami san and Madam Saluko are our friends are they not?"

"It is our first rule though, my heart," the little lady said laying her free hand on his cheek and he could see the tears collecting clearly now." to keep your secret, the very first!"

"As the boy says," the taller woman said wrapping a comforting arm about the others shoulders." we are all family here but Ko is right Aki dear, you must be more careful."

"Indeed he must," Asami interjected standing and indicating to Kirishima that they were finished. "and as I have learnt, walls have ears, we will talk more securely in the privacy of your home, aunt."

"Of, course, of course." the lady agreed placing her serviette by her plate." that would certainly be for the best. Come, Ko, are you finished?"

"Of course," the smaller woman agreed with a deep intake of breath and made to stand with Aki thin shoulder acting as an aide." come on, dear, I really would like to get back to Miz's now."

The boy put out an arm for her to hold as the others waited for them politely Asami bringing up the rear as his three guests walked to where Suoh was waiting beside the exit. Kirishima appeared at his boss's shoulder and from somewhere the immaculate waiter from earlier emerged behind them too but for some reason his handsome face was now twisted into an unbecoming scowl. 

"I hope you enjoyed your meal, Asami san."the man said with a low bow and his face now adorned with a small polite smile and Akihito felt a pang of sympathy for him as his courteous farewell was utterly ignored by the tall yacuza and his party. He began to give his own thanks but Asami's firm hand on his own elbow encouraged him on and he was hurried past the waiter without time to say anything. Suoh dipped his head respectfully at the ladies as they passed through the door he held open and then passed them on the steps as he led them towards their waiting car.

Asami and the others fitted themselves comfortably into the vehicles passenger compartment as Suoh drove them all through the throng of workers going about their daily grind in the downtown streets before the somewhat calmer residential area where Madam Saluko lived enveloped them.

Asami himself helped the ladies from the car while Aki scuttled quickly out of the other side lest the bigger man be tempted to repeat the attention he had given the boy when they had arrived at the restaurant. The old house was beautifully quiet after Aki's already busy day and to his relief he let its faintly dusty atmosphere settle comfortably across his shoulders as soon as they entered the long entrance hall.

"If you would not mind, Akihito, can you make tea for our guests," his landlady requested politely." you know where everything is don't you?"

"Of course, madam." he agreed glad for the even more peaceful solitude of the kitchen.

"Let me help." Asami offered as he entered the sitting room and he felt a now familiar thrill as the big hand caressed his own fingers beneath the shelter of the tray they were exchanging, The women were seated beside each other and Aki was sorry to see fresh tears on his grandmothers face he quickly handed over the laden tray to the bigger man and moved to the small woman's side putting his arm round her shoulder, kissing her cheek and picking up her hand to comfort her.

"Grandmother, are you all right?" he said his voice tight with concern glaring over at Asami accusingly.

"Yes, yes, I was just explaining to Ryuchi and Miz why I am so reluctant about you coming to Tokyo, darling, because you are my last," the woman said wetly stroking back the long strands of fair hair away from the boys eyes." maybe the last and I have tried so hard to keep you safe!" 

"And so you have grandmother," the boy affirmed squeezing her hand harder and relaxing a little." I am as right as rain."

"But still an intriguing anomaly it seems, "Asami was leaning back in his chair, a finger resting on his chin thoughtfully as he looked over at the other so  and Aki had to suppress the sudden urge to move across to him." Kyuuketsuki are not just stories to scare children then?" 

"Of course not." both the women said in near unison.

"I am fine now, dearest," the small woman reassured the blond as she dabbed the remnants of tears briskly from her eyes." sit down and have your tea, I am sorry to cause a scene."

"I understood that they were the Emperor's assassins." Asami continued watching Aki curiously as the boy returned to his seat.

"The best they had," Madam Salako agreed firmly resting her hand on her friends arm supportively." our ancestors would not have held such power without their help."

"You have never mentioned assassins, grandmother." Aki said quietly.

"It was a different time." the old lady said with a small shrug.

"They were much more than hired killers though, dear," The taller woman assured him." they were friends, partners and often spouses to their lords and over many generations too."

"Our two lines have always been close," the older Takaba said leaning forward." and we think that it is not by chance that you boys have been drawn so close so quickly." 

"We are not related or anything like that are we?" Aki asked shifting uncomfortably in his seat although Asami seemed unmoved only listening and reaching for his cigarettes.

"Back and forward but not for several generations." she reassured him." Your grandfather, Aki, was cousin to your cousin was he not, Miz."`

"Hmm, I think so," the taller woman agreed." but we were all so pleased and excited when you were born your parents knew what your pale looks might mean straight away."

"Well, little good does it do in this day and age," Aki grumbled." I am merely neither fish nor fowl."

"You are precious to us," his grandmother insisted." and to be such a rarity is special in itself."

"Why?" Asami asked quietly. 

Three sets of eyes turned to him.

"I can," Aki said equally quietly looking over at him with sad eyes." kill anything that breaths."

"Really," Asami said, his voice non committal." and can we not all?"

"Kyuketsuki's ability is a form of compulsion," his aunt began." they were uniquely useful." 

"Compulsion can be a formidable weapon," the man agreed." although not so rare a thing among we Alpha's."

"No touch nor movement is needed by them," the smaller woman explained further eyes bright with pride." they could drop anything dead in their tracks."

"Akihito could kill us all with a thought?" he said casting disbelieving eyes on his small companion who was now shifting unhappily at all this talk of murder and death." Show me."

"I am not a performing animal!" the boy hissed angrily at him.

"Ryuchi!" his aunt commanded sternly." Be respectful to our guests."

"As you wish, Aunt." and Asami dropped his blank mask across his features again.

"This is a matter of great honour to us." The elegant old woman voice was harder than Aki had ever heard it. "It is I that persuaded Ko to come to Tokyo when I learned of your meeting with each other."

"I did not want Aki to leave either me or the mountains," The elder Takaba explained drawing a deep breath and looking from one man to the other as she spoke with concern clear on her still comely face." but I knew in my heart that he has the right to his freedom and finally agreed to it when your aunt offered him accommodation in her own home."

"And I welcomed him as the good lad he is," Madam Salako said smiling fondly at the boy." and he in return has had the freedom to try city life."

"But now there is you, Asami Ryuchi," the old lady continued scrutinising the older man from where she sat." and you a horse of a very different colour."

"We agreed that as I was a man grown." her grandson answered firmly but not unkindly and then, thinking of his first meeting with Asami and then his enthusiastically seeking him out for their next tryst himself." I was old enough to make my own mistakes!" 

"And let me assure you, madam," Asami said letting out a long plume of smoke from his cigarette." that I certainly do not wish Akihito ill."

"I can see that you are close already," and here she paused to give added weight to her words before continuing, taking time to carefully choose her words." and I am pleased that my boy has found what I hope will be a powerful friend in this concrete jungle. That being said you are a complicated man, Asami san, and you live a complicated life, and it is not one that I would have chosen to see Aki become embroiled in."

"Grandmother!" Aki was taken aback by his kin's bluntness although Asami face did not move muscle." As you would no doubt be the first to remind me, I can find enough trouble by myself without his help."

"Akihito," Asami said watching the small woman with a fixed stare that would have quailed many a man or woman twice her size and half her age." is an adult and as such may choose his own path, although if it is of any interest, I have no intention of ' embroiling' your grandson in anything he would not choose for himself."

Takaba Ko looked at him as though trying to see through the blank mask of his face and into the thoughts beyond it and after a full minute during which it took all of Akihito's concentration not to either wriggle or break the uncomfortable silence.

"My husband and Aki's parents were all killed because they became involved in your line of work." the little woman finished her eyes as flat and metallic as only a vampire could manifest." He is the last of my line and there will be no forgiveness for mistakes."

"I understand your pain, madam, as you know many of our own family have been taken by violence also," Asami said respectfully touching the fingertips of his right hand to his heart and bowing his head." and as for forgiveness, I can only strive not to require it."

"Make sure you do not then," the small woman said after searching his rigid poker face for a crack in his facade but failing to find one." he may be a Kyuketsuki but he is also my Aki and that all I have left of my family, make sure you take good care of him while he chooses to stay here in Tokyo."

"We all will, Ko." Madam Saluko assured her friend patting her friends arm.

"I will have you all remember," Aki said daring to join in the conversation if Asami's aunt did." that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself you know."

Three sets of eyes turned to look at him and he had to steel himself to meet them.

"Of course, dear," his landlady reassured him after a moment." it is only that we all wish to see you happy."

"Well, thank you," he said somewhat taken aback." and you have been most kind but..."

"You are just not as worldly as some," his grandmother weighed in and to his mortification fixed Asami with her gaze." and as we talked about before you came, there are many predators here and not all of them are easy to spot at first sight."

"Agreed," Asami drawled and Aki scowled at him when he thought he detected a drip of amusement in the deep voice." but, if the stories are even half true, surely the boy has skills enough for his own defence."

"Er, just so, although I do not plan to murder anyone just like that" he said stunned that the big man had taken his side." but wasn't grandpa some sort of ninja along with his...skills?"

"Silly boy," Ko said shaking her head but seeming to relax somewhat." nothing so showy, although all that jumping and running about you so enjoy certainly comes from that side of the family."

"I thought you always said it was because I was just hyperactive?" Aki said with an unhappy pout.

"That too, dear, " she said leaning forward to put her hand on his." and now you have Ryuchi."

"Asami?" the blond head turned sharply towards her." What about Asami?"

"Now that you and he..." his grandmother continued more slowly looking deeply into his wary eyes." well, now the Asami is here with you too, I am hopeful that things may have worked out for the best in the end."

"Well," Aki said his brows dropping in confusion." of course you do know that Asami does not actually live here with us?" 

"No, but," and the old woman waved her hand dismissively." well, we see the signs don't we Miz?"

Aki felt his face burn with embarrassment, could his normally over protective grandmother have even an inkling of his relationship with the dashing warlord?

Surely not.

Good god, he hoped not, he thought glancing nervously across at his impassive lover who was still watching him curiously, although Aki thought that he briefly detected some flash of emotion in the pale glitter of the gold in his eyes.

Amusement?

Damn it, the man was intolerable!

"Well, yes, and it is the twenty first century," the taller woman acknowledged with a knowing smile at her nephew." and some of the old ways are now an anachronism, thank goodness."

"Madam, what do you mean?" he said his face moving rapidly from red to white as the woman continued.

"Well, you know." his landlady raised her eyebrows and nodded her head at the two men. 

"No, no, no, no!" Aki said as his mouth dropped open in shock and he stuffed his hands against his ears." I refuse to listen!"

"Aki, you should really not be so worried about that kind of thing, dear!" his grandmother admonished but if he had only looked at her instead of his own lap he would have seen a definite gleam of amusement in her grey eyes. Asami was of no help as now a sly smirk had slipped across those perfect, irritating lips of his at the women's teasing." The story of our two blood lines may be steeped in history but Asami san is a successful man of the modern world so it is my hope that he will help you to make your way in it too."

Could the women be expecting him to become some sort of apprentice to this self satisfied man? However attracted he was to the stunning Alpha he had to much self respect to become anyone's lackey. It was all too much for poor Aki and he stood up suddenly, snatching up the half empty tray to stomp off towards the kitchen trying to hide his mortification as best he could from the other three as they watched him go.

"You have done a wonderful job of raising such a sweet boy, Ko," Madam Saluko asked with a small smile on her own mouth." but was he always so prudish?"

"Always." the smaller woman said watching as the door snapped shut behind her retreating grandson. "Such a conservative boy."

"Such a shame." the other sympathised with a shake of her head.

"I have a plan to help him with that too, ladies," Asami's deep voice interrupted their musings." and with both your blessings I would be glad to become Akihito's, shall we say, patron." 


	7. Coy Koi.

"No!" Aki said firmly as he and Asami walked through the park that he had seen from the Sion office windows when he had entertained himself a few days before when they had lunched with his grandmother.

"But, I am asking you so nicely," Asami said strolling elegantly beside the boy with one hand casually in his trouser pocket." what would the death of one pigeon be in the scale of things, Akihito."

"I do not care how nicely you have asked me." the boy said hugging his face further down into his red scarf. " I am not slaughtering some poor innocent bird to satisfy your unhealthy curiosity." 

"If you will not show me," the tall man asked without looking down at his companion." then how do can I learn more about it?"

"I already told you, I am not a crazy like you!" the boy grumbled shoving his hands deeper into his jacket pocket." I have only killed on the odd very rare occasion." 

"So you have actually murdered someone?" Asami looked down curiously trying to equate the exquisite creature that trudged beside him with such an act.

"More put down." Aki hissed at him quietly anxiously watching as a woman with a small child in a push chair walked by them." I chose them very carefully."

"Them?" The dark man almost halted." More than one?"

"Of course more than one," he muttered." anyway is this really the time and place to discuss such things?"

"I can imagine worse." Asami said looking around at the sparse leaves and sparser walkers around them.

"It is all right for you, Vamp, you lot hardly feel the cold," the boy said huffing out a breath and watching it's cloud hang in the air or a minute." now where are these Koi you promised me?"

"There." he pointed at a small bridge a hundred yards ahead then lifted one side of his jacket in invitation." You could come in here and I could warm you up if you want?" 

"Phss!" Aki dismissed the comment shrugging up his collar and trudging faster now their destination was in sight.

"Just a suggestion."Asami smiled as he watched the small determined figure pull ahead slightly.

"Enjoying the view?" the boy said scowling back at him pausing to let him catch up.

"Immensely." and he suddenly ran the back of his hand down the others collar making him squeak deliciously.

"Oi, shh, idiot," Aki wriggled away from him and ran up on to the arch to look into the dark water." you will scare them."

"Be careful!" Asami was surprised at the lurch the pit of his stomach took as the slight body leaned as far over the wooden rail as possible to see better.

"I can't see anything!" he said in a disappointed voice as Asami pulled him back by a firm hand clasped on to the back of his jacket." maybe it's too cold and they have been taken inside somewhere until the spring." 

"You probably need to buy food for them." he said waving his free hand over at the small vending machine on the further bank.

"Good idea," Aki trotted over to it obediently digging in his pocket for coins before pulling out the small bag of feed pellets from the dispenser." but what if they are not there?"

The blond's eyes scanned the surface of the pond for movement as he clambered back up to stand beside his suave lover but nothing seemed to be stirring in its brackish depths. He began to carefully unfold the little paper sack before leaning back over the rail again and Asami automatically wound his strong hand tightly into the fabric of the boys jacket again just in case he toppled overboard. The food made small ripples on the still surface and for a minute or two the man wondered whether the boy might have been right after all and the fish had gone. Then the water stirred as if on some unseen current and there was a pale flash of movement in the depths.

"Asami, Asami," his little lover cried out turning to look up at him his blue eyes sparkling with excitement." look, look, here they come!"

Asami tore his eyes away from his boy's reluctantly to see the writhing shapes of multicoloured fish that vied for the food slowly sinking around them into the dark water. Akhito was positively vibrating with excitement as he watched them, leaning precariously out with only the bigger man's grip to anchor him and pointing out the piebald and the plain with equal enthusiasm. Orange and yellow, white and palest pink, the creatures shoved and wove around each other always moving although some were slow and sinuous and others darting and fast as they hunted after each pellet until they had eaten the last of them.

"Hey," Aki complained shaking out the last crumbs from the bag as slowly the fish began to sink back into the depths." come back!"

"They are fish," Asami observed." they can only feel cupboard love." 

"Of course!" and with a wiggle that any Koi would envy he pulled himself loose from the man's grasp and skipped back to the dispenser for fresh supplies. Asami left him to it as a mother and children joined him and he moved to rest on a bench on the ponds bank, settling himself with a cigarette instead as he watched a small man in a smart suit pass them and cross the bridge behind the fish hunters to take a seat further down the path and take out his phone. The fish enjoyed their bonanza and Akihito had found two fellow carp enthusiast in the pair of small children who stopped to watch and soon the three of them were chattering away and sharing the food while sitting on the chilly wood of the bridge with their legs happily swinging above the roiling fish. Asami watched as fascinated as ever by the boy, his looks alone were worthy of his attention of course but it was his very presence that attracted him even more and it was clear he was not alone. The young mother had looked at him with obvious barely disguised mistrust as she passed where he sat but was instantly at ease with the blond as she and her children were soon playing with Aki. It was as if the four were in a happy little bubble as the fish performed for them and the children and the boy jumped back and forward on their chilly perches to swap places for what they considered the best view. 

After over an hour and quite a few more trips for fishy provisions Akihito and the lady were obviously searching for the coins in the depths of their pockets and the woman's handbag. The small man had come to sit nearer to the machine now and was still on his phone and Asami tensed possessively as he saw Aki glance askance at him, obviously considering asking him for change before the boy stuck his hands back into his jacket again and trotted back to his side instead.

"Asami..." he began looking shyly up through those irresistibly thick lashes at him. 

"No, I do not have any change, Aki," he said before the boy could go any further." I have not carried cash for several years and I don't think that machine would accept a credit card, do you?"

"I suppose not." the boy sighed looking over to where his new friends were watching the few stragglers that remained of their fishy shoal.

"Your cheeks are going blue anyway and your nose is dripping too." he said staring at the chilled features and offering him a pristine white handkerchief from his suit pocket." We have been here for hours and had best be getting home or you are going to freeze to death."

"But we can come back another day can we not?" the blond asked wistfully although in truth the cold was beginning to nip at his fingers as he blew his nose gratefully. The light had thickened towards evening and he waved goodbye to the little family who had begun to make their way off along the other bank.

"Perhaps," Asami said with amusement at the boys longing tone." if you are good and eat your greens!" 

"Asami!" the young man said his brows furrowing and giving the other a sharp dig in the ribs with his elbow for his teasing. Asami did not try and dodge the jab instead noticing with an uncomfortable jolt the intensity that the seated salaryman across the ornate bridge seemed to be watching them with." Can we though, I have never felt safe enough to go out during the day by myself?"

"We are only fifteen minutes from Sion," he said taking hold of the others arm protectively and guiding him firmly towards their path catching the movement out of the corner of his eye that indicated their watcher was rising from his bench as they moved off." perhaps we can come back later in the week."

"With lots of change," the boy said with a grin as they walked but then his mobile face became more thoughtful." or maybe we can go to a pet shop instead, it would probably be cheaper to buy a big bag of fish food from there."  

"Cheaper maybe but then we would have to cart it across town," Asami was fighting down the need to confront the small man who had now crossed the bridge behind them and although keeping his distance, was apparently having the audacity to follow them." I will bring a bag of coins next time if you want." 

" **I** will be buying the food," the blond insisted setting his jaw firmly oblivious of their unwanted shadow while Asami tried to shield him from the other's sight with his bigger body. He fished out his phone and thumbed off a text to Kirishima to summon a car to be ready for them when they left the rapidly darkening park." you are doing your bit by coming at all. Wow look at the colour of those berries on that bush!"

"What?" as the yakuza, still focused on his phone bumped into the boys back nearly jolting him off his feet when he suddenly halted, his thoughts switched to their tail who his senses seemed to suggest might not be alone and who was matching their pace too closely behind them for his comfort.

"Ow!" Aki grumbled rubbing his shoulder but reaching out to touch a scarlet fruit." Watch where you are walking, bigfoot!"

"Leave those," Asami said pushing him forwards sharply enough for the boy to look at his tight lips in surprise." they might be poisonous."

"I wasn't going to eat them." he said unhappily but kept moving in front of the other anyway as Asami heard the footsteps pause behind him too." Anyway, what is the hurry all of a sudden, as you say we are not too far from home and I was going to buy you a coffee somewhere to say thank you for our outing."

"Another day." Asami tersely as he saw a movement at the bend in the path ahead and instinctively jerked the boy back against him for protection.

"Oof! Hey, that's enough of that," Aki complained trying to wriggle free of the others strong arms although all it did was make the other's grip tighten around him instead." remember that we are in public!"

"Be still." Asami hissed in his ear as two well dressed men materialised on the path in front of them seeming to be in casual conversation with each other.

Aki heard the warning in the quiet words and stilled looking towards the approaching pair, and then at a third as he appeared around the corner a few steps behind the first two although to him they only looked like office workers and he began to think that Asami might just be being paranoid. He also wondered briefly as he watched the park lights slowly ignite in the gloom how the bigger man could be so delightfully warm considering the sluggish pace of vampire hearts but it was always that way as far as he knew and he took comfort in it this time, snuggling his still chilled body against the others broad chest while he waited for the strangers to pass.

The peace was shattered in an instant.

An all too familiar click sounded from somewhere behind them and Asami suddenly swung Aki bodily away from him with such force that he virtually flew, face first, into the thick shrubs that lined the walkway before he had a chance to even think. The air behind and above him flared and blared with the unmistakable crackle of gunfire as he scrabbled desperately up on to his hands and knees only to freeze once more as he came face to face through the roots of the bushes with a man's black eyes staring at him still open but already lifeless and rapidly glazing over in death.


	8. Park life.

We all must die and Aki knew that well but the shift from an enjoyable afternoon outing to his sudden face to face encounter with a still warm corpse shocked him into immobility for a long moment. He blinked but the black eyes, of course, did not and reality saturated the air around him like the filling of a vacuum, voices shouting words he did not recognise and the pop of small arms fire from around the pathway beyond. The flimsy barrier provided by the decorative shrubs would not stop bullets and he had to fight down his natural urge to scrabble through the plants behind him and away from the battle as fast and as far as he could.

But Asami was in there somewhere and Aki's heart wrenched at the thought.

The light from the park lamps was brighter now than the darkening sky above him and he struggled to see much beyond the body too close to him for comfort but he wriggled a bit closer to try and get a better view of things. There was a brief pause in the gunfire and his stomach turned. 

Was Asami felled and unable to return fire? 

Gods how he hated bullets. 

Aki hurriedly pulled himself up to crouch and scanned the area ducking his head again as a sudden ping of what he thought might have been a rebounding bullet bounced off a tree across the path from him. He risked a glance over towards it and to his relief he saw the movement of what was without doubt a very well cut suit's sleeve.

Definitely Asami then.

He bunched his muscles considering the wisdom of trying to return to the other man's side in a swift dive.

Ping.

Another bullet flew past and he crouched further down again.

Not happening.

Something moved beyond the path in the darker shadows under the trees beyond where the boy could now make out the silhouette of his lovers fine aquiline profile as he watched the way and he peered across trying to make it out what it could be. A flicker of movement and a glint of metal and without a thought he was on his feet! 

"Get down, Asami!" he shouted pointing as another shot rang out and he felt his compulsion pulse through him uncalled for towards where he saw the small flash of its firing.  

"Akihito!" a shout sounded out and the big yakuza was running low and fast towards him catching him round the middle with a long strong arm and tackling him back into the scrub again. Aki's breath was forced out of him with a woosh and he could not catch it again after the impact as they landed with the bigger man's weight pinning him to the cold hard ground.

"Ow, get off," he hissed then quickly holding the mans face in his hands and straining to see it in the dim light." are you all right?"

"Of course," the deep voice soothed." it is you who is trying to get themselves killed!"

"There was one behind you." Aki said wriggling out from beneath him as Asami held him down with one hand and looked along the path towards the exit.

"I know that now," the elder said quietly." and I think there are still two up ahead along with him."

"I think..." the boy began trying to see over the broad shoulders in front of him.

"Not enough it seems," Asami replied over his shoulder." not to make yourself a target!" 

"No, but.." the boy tried again.

"Those are real guns out there, brat," he said gruffly, holding up a hand to silence him." but you should be safe enough here if you just stay down and wait until I come back for you."

"I am not...!" the boy retorted angrily but Asami was gone like a panther into the night before he could finish. Aki sat up trying to follow the other with his eyes but the light was too dim and the shadows too deep and so he tentatively got his feet under himself holding his side where the solid thump that had rekindled the pain in his ribs. He could feel dampness on his sweatshirt under his probing finger tips and cursed whatever it was that the big man must have pressed him in to on the ground." Yeuch!"

Aki poked his head up, feeling a bit like a meerkat looking around out of a burrow but he still could not see anything. It seemed strange to think that only a few hundred meters away the city streets would be full of commuters heading home for the evening while he and Asami scrambled around fighting of some gun happy crazies. Aki began to creep forward in the direction that the other man had taken knowing that to call out to him as he would have wished would have brought their enemy instead. Peeking cautiously round one of the larger tree his breath caught in his throat as he saw a small movement on the far side of the path and could just make out the vague shape of what was possibly two dark figures hunched behind the wooden slats of a park bench. Before he could move or call out a warning again Asami himself appeared a few meters in front of where he stood, hunched forward on one knee, gun aimed at the hidden pair who moved to face him their own guns also raised.

Bullets flew, two guns against one but feeling a blaze of anger punch through his narrow chest Aki was having none of it. Without a thought his hand raised pointing unerringly at his lovers attackers and he had to hold tightly to his sheltering tree's trunk as a mighty compulsion pushed itself out of his small body. There was loud crash and then he could hear a thrashing sound behind the low seat as Asami charged forward towards it like an elegantly clad berserker. Feeling light headed with his effort Aki pushed himself free of the tree's support and staggering slightly tried to follow but something slid round his head before he could move. A hard hand covered his mouth and a remarkably strong arm clamped him to someone behind him before he could call out and he felt his head tipped back so sharply on his neck that he had to move with his attacker for fear of it snapping.

Undoubtedly a Vamp by the strength of the grip now fixed over both his nose and mouth Aki knew even as he kicked out with a sharp heel to the others shin and struggled vainly to escape the vice like grip as it curtailed his breathing. He tried to muster his compulsion again but even as he did he knew he had already given out too much and his vision began to darken as he was dragged backwards into the trees and away from his lover.

Aki felt himself slip away as he lost consciousness, his thrashing weakening and fear slipping away with all his other thoughts as he was half dragged half carried back on to path that led to the fish pond. He was just aware of the ground firming beneath them when he was jerked violently away from his captor by the front of his jacket and once more the ground embraced him to its rocky breast. Head still swirling he heard a shot ring out as he desperately sucked in air to his oxygen starved lungs and peered through the stars gathered at the edge of his vision to take in a grisly sight.

Fully engaged in vampire mode Asami's face was barely recognisable as he held the smaller body of the suited man from beside the carp pool in his grip. Lifting him to leave his feet dangling the Alpha clamped his fanged mouth straight into the flesh of the others throat just below his chin and with a sickening crunch shook him as if he was a terrier with a rat. Aki looked away as the big man wrenched back his head but he heard the noise as Asami spat out a disgusting mouthful and the boy returned his horrified gaze to see his would be kidnapper thrown away like a discarded wrapper.

Asami stood still looking for a moment at the still twitching corpse before swinging his head back round towards where his boy tried, as unsteady as a colt, to get to his feet. Crashing clumsily towards his big lover as the man started for him although perhaps with less than his usual style.

"Oh, Asami," Aki gasped as he stumbled back on to the path and gratefully into the others strong arms squeezing his eyes shut to try to drive out the vision of the others briefly inhuman face above him and content just to wrap his arms as tightly as he could around the others broad body." is it over?"

"Shh," the voice's rumble was deep enough for the echo to reverberate through his own chest." its over."

"Who were they?" the blond head rested against the others body and he felt as tears start to prickle behind his eyes now his adrenaline was spent.

"I do not know yet," he placed a kiss the boy's soft hair rubbing a hand over his back in comfort as he felt the smaller body start to shiver against his." but you can be assured that when I find out whoever it was that sent them they will regret the day they were born."

"Maybe there are more!" he said trying to pull back and look around as he heard a man's voice shouting from somewhere.

"Kai!" Asami called out but strangely, although it made Aki jump his voice didn't seem to carry as far as normal." Here!" 

Aki heard another shout closer by and he thought he recognised the big secretary's voice too this time but he did not feel inclined to move away from the security of his lover's arms and was content to stay here with him where they already were. He waited for Asami to call out again and when he did not he knew immediately deep in his gut that something was very wrong.

"Asami?" he said his voice suddenly tight with concern.

"Kei is coming," the others deep voice sounded tired." Call him."  

"Asami? Asami? What is the matter," the boy said drawing back a little to try and see the man's face." are you all right?"  

"Call to Kirishima, Akihito," the big man instructed too quietly." he will take care of everything." 

"Kirishima! Kirishima!" he yelled at the top of his voice as Asami leaned forward to rest his forehead wearily against his shoulder." Asami, are you OK?"

"Fine, kitten," he said but his head was heavy on the boy's shoulder and instead of his leaning against the bigger body Aki felt the man begin to rest more of his weight against him instead." I am fine." 

"KIrishima!" he nearly shrieked." Over here! Hurry, please!"  

"Kei, yes, yes,"Asami was becoming really heavy in Akihito's arms." he'll take care of things."

"Ryuchi?" Someone shouted nearby and a huge shadow suddenly loomed over them from behind Asami and Aki's heart leapt into his throat in case it was another of their attackers but then light reflected off glasses and he heard himself give a relieved sob as he recognised the bodyguard's familiar bulk began running with surprising speed towards them.

"Here, we are here!" he cried out desperately beginning to crumple now under his big lovers not inconsiderable weight.

"Ryuchi?" Kirishima called again scanning the area with cautious eyes as he approached them and Aki flinched at the sight of the gun he was holding.

"Get him out!" Asami ordered but now his voice was barely audible as Aki collapsed to his knees under his weight. The huge secretary arrived beside him just as the two men were slipping to the ground as despite his best efforts, the boys slight body buckled beneath his burden.

"What happened, kid." Kirishima demanded relieving the boy of much of his bosses weight as he bent down to slide his brawny arms around him.

"Men," Aki managed to gasp out." men with guns tried to kill us!" 

"Get him out of here!" Asami breathed grasping his secretary's sleeve." Now."

"We are all getting out of here." the huge man assured then holding his pistol out towards the boy and pulling off the coat to press to his bosses chest where Aki was horrified to see a great dark stain spreading horrifically even as he watched." Here, kid, take this, kill anyone you see."

Aki looked at the weapon fearfully but when Kirishima shoved it at him he took it holding it gingerly, well away from his body. Both arms free, the man shifted Asami carefully into his arms and picked him up as if he were a tired child while the other cradled the jacket tightly to his own body. 

"You first," Kirishima pointed along the path with his elbow." and hurry, Suoh should be waiting with the car at the gates."

For once Akihito did not argue but hurried ahead of the other pair, his heart thumping and his thoughts in chaos as they made their way up onto the grassed area where they had passed children playing only a few hours before. He could see the streets beyond, busy with traffic and then he saw the now closed park gates only a few hundred metres away. 

"Hold on, Asami," he said dropping back to whisper comfort to his lover." we are nearly there."

Neither of the others answered him and his fingers tightened on the pistol as he saw movement the gateway. To his relief he could not mistake the outline of the man mountain Suoh who, belied his bulk by hopping over the turnstile as if they were nothing and begin to run towards them.  He was not even breathing hard when he arrived beside them, moments later and Kirishima transferred their boss into his arms without breaking stride. The pace picked up and Aki had to jog beside the others, now unable to walk at their longer legged pace the gun swinging uncomfortably at his side.

"Give me that, brat, before you kill yourself!" Kirishima snapped, pausing in giving out the string of instructions he was now firing into his phone as they hurried along, and snatching the gun from his pale hand. The boy said nothing, concentrating instead on keeping up while also keeping out of the larger men's way and watching fearfully as Asami seemed to be lying frighteningly limply in his bodyguards mighty arms. 

The tall gates were locked but Kirishima followed Suoh's example and vaulted the turnstile with ease leaning back across them immediately to relieve Suoh of Asami and turn towards where the car waited at the kerb beyond. Akihito looked down wearily for a foothold to begin his own less skillful exit but was taken unawares by huge hands picking him up beneath his armpits and then he was suddenly being swung like a child across the barrier to be placed with surprising gentleness on the pavement on the far side.

"Th..Thank you." Aki blurted out and received a short nod from Suoh as the big man landed beside him. He stopped and picked up the now blood soaked jacket that had been dislodged in the transfer but then was stopped short as a large van drew up on the pavement close in front of them. His hand rose to cover his mouth anxiously as two sleek cars squealed to a halt beside Asami's Limo and heavily armed men poured out of them all on to the pavement.

"Ours." Suoh said and putting a giant paw around the boy's thin arm hurried on towards their car with Aki trotting as closely as he could tuck himself in beside his comforting bulk. He only glanced back when Suoh let him go to help Kirishima manoeuvre Asami's alarming unresponsive body into the passenger compartment and he saw the newly arrived men fanning out across the neat park lawns in the direction of where they had been ambushed. 

"Akihito?" he barely heard heard the whispering call from his lover but quickly scrambled in between his two big bodyguards to grab the broad hand tightly in his own. 

"I am right here, Asami." he tried to reassure the other, flattening himself back into the soft leather of the seats without letting the other go to allow Suoh to reverse past him presumably so that he could drive.

"I have summoned your surgeon, Ryuchi," Suoh said in an admirably calm voice, considering their circumstances, as he continued to try to staunch the flow from the others wound." and he and his team will be waiting for us when we arrive at the clinic." 

But there was no reply as the car began to move and Aki was distressed when he could see how pale and drawn the injured man looked in the glow from the passing street lights. Still holding tight to the bigger man's cooling hand he scrambled round to kneel beside him instead and his stomach twisted as he felt dampness through his jeans. Drawing back he could see an alarmingly large stain of what was surely blood already spreading across the plush carpet on which he knelt and he looked up at Kirishima with frightened eyes. Asami's eyes were closed now with no familiar smirk gracing his now slightly open mouth and his head was rolling laxly with the movements of the car

Akihito closed his eyes feeling the fear rise in his throat, clutching the chilly hand to his lips and vainly willing his lover back to health.

Kirishima did not look at him concentrating as he was on keeping the pressure firmly applied to his friends wounds with one hand and now feeling for a pulse at the others palid throat with the other. His face tensed after a minute of searching and Aki's hand clenched his lovers harder in reflex as the bespectacled man leaned forward to bang hard on the privacy partition between them and the drivers seat.

It slid open immediately to show Suoh, anxiety clear on his usually stoic face.

"Code Red." Kirishima snapped to him and Aki was immediately pushed against Asami's limp body as the big car lurched forward when their driver slammed his heavy foot hard down on to the accelerator.


	9. A needle in the flesh.

Aki automatically put out his hand to stop himself crashing into Asami with the sudden momentum produced when Suoh floored it in response to Kirishima's instruction. His lover's shirt where his hand touched was warm and wet with more blood than seemed possible for one man to possess however big the Alpha was. Through his skin the boy immediately felt something wrong with the gore, something that frightened him in a way that turned his stomach and paralysed his brain with dismay.

"Elfshot!" He gasped and it took him all his self control not to fling himself away from the lethal taint in his lovers blood but even so he reeled back as if struck.

"What?" Kirishima barked, his glasses glinting in the street light from outside.

"The bullet is unclean," he whispered keeping his hand firmly round the bigger man's despite his disgust." the elfshot will kill him if it stays in his blood."

"It is already doing that, you fool," Kirishima growled angrily." I doubt he will see the hospital."

Aki knew at once that the big man was telling true and as soon as he knew that then he also knew what he must do, whatever the danger. What had drawn him to the big Alpha had only deepened over their time together and he did not hesitate pulling back the suit jacket and tugging loose the sodden shirt from the big man's trousers. Kirishima growled clamping a huge hand over the boys thin wrist so hard that he hissed as he felt his bones grind together under the pressure.

"It was you that gave Asami the Mountain Ash pills, Kirishima san," he scrunched up his face in pain letting go of his lovers hand to try and pry the painful grip loose." you must have read at least some of the lore?" 

"If he dies....." the big man warned gruffly but Akihito could see the fear hidden behind the warning in his eyes as his wrist was freed from the others giant paw. 

He quickly finished tugging the shirt free as Kirishima reluctantly pulled his sodden jacket away to expose the Alpha's broad chest and Aki shivered involuntarily. He watched with dismay as thick blood emerged from the ragged tear in the otherwise smooth flesh, a sluggish ooze of darkness which, to Aki's heightened senses reeked of corruption. Swallowing down his reluctance firmly he spread his hands over the ugly wound and with a deep intake of breath he closed his eyes and concentrated on visualising what lay beneath the big man's tanned skin.

Aki could feel Asami's blood, not sweet and rich as it had been that first night when they had tasted each other and he had let the big man live but cloying and heavy without the vitality he normally possessed. The boy had not regretted that decision, when against his better judgement at the time, he choose to save his life rather than finish this gloriously complex man off. Now he did not give it a second thought when he placed his hands in the repulsive discharge that leaked from the ugly wound that lay between the lower ribs on his right hand side above his liver. He searched with all his senses, braving the poison the shot was leaching into the bigger mans system although it sickened him to feel it and trying to feel his way deeper in to the lesion like Alice following the white rabbit down the rabbit hole. Then he felt the unmistakable jolt that could only mean he had found the missile still lodged deep in Asami's body.

"The damnable thing is still in him." he informed the silent secretary with a shiver.

Even from the contact with the residue that saturated the dark vampire's blood he could feel the sullen weight of the poison working through the others system. Aki's own senses recoiled at its touch but Asami was dying from its effect so there was nothing else to be done. Drawing in a deep breath he let go of the other's hand and placed his palm flat on the now cool skin above the oozing wound pushing his revulsion of touching the corruption and sending his compulsion deep into the gape. Sweat sprung on Aki's brow and his pale skin bloomed rosy red despite the chill of the evening air while fought to keep his hands and body stock still. As the minutes progressed he felt a fine tremor began to shiver through his muscles as he sought to effect a healing even against the odds but all he could really do was grit his teeth and soldier on with his task.

Suoh was driving faster than the traffic would comfortably allow as shown by the unusual lurching of the limo as it dodged obstacles and the endless honking of horns outside from other angry motorists. As Aki struggled to work Kirishima watched him, holding his friend's big body from moving or as the journey continued from slipping off of the seat in his weakened state and crushing the small blond kneeling beside him. The big secretary fought down his own instincts to push the strange boy aside and try to stem the flow of blood himself again but he knew he had no cure for poison and could only trust that his meagre knowledge of what the lad was reputed to be capable of would prove true. He saw when the slight body begin to tremble but ignored it as he also saw that the stream of blood seemed to begin to ease too. 

"Takaba?" Kirishima breathed, not wanting to break the others concentration but the boy did not move from where he knelt with his eyes closed and head tilted forward beside his prone lover. The slim body began to shake more as the bodyguard watched but he clearly saw the blood flow had now reduced to a trickle and as he watched the thin stream was staunched virtually altogether. Kirishima placed his fingers on Asami's pulse and to his relirfhe felt that although it was still weak it had returned at least to an even beat. The Limo gave a last lurch as it mounted a kerb and then another as it clunked back down onto the tarmac and looking outside Kirishima recognised the car park of the exclusive clinic that Sion financed for just such emergencies as this. As the lights of the entrance appeared beyond their car's windows it seemed that although he did not move, the secretary thought his boss seemed to be breathing more steadily too. On the other hand Aki was panting as if he had run a marathon now but the door was flung open by a stony faced Suoh who shoved the slight body out of his way to reach for Asami. The two bodyguards minds focused now only on the urgency of getting Asami into the hands of the team of medics now emerging from the clinic doors.

"How is he, Kei?"  Suoh asked as he leaned in to the car pushing the unsteady boy further away from the big body roughly as between the two big men they managed to lift Asami from the vehicle without jolting his injured body. When the little party was swept indoors by the bustling army of physicians the scarlet of the blood was even more shocking under the stark strip lighting inside the building and as they laid him on to the gurney there seemed not one inch of the expensive cotton shirt that was not thoroughly besmirched with it. 

"Get him into the assessment room." Dr. Li, Asami's personally retained surgeon, was ordering in an authoritative, calming voice." Finish prepping the theatre."

Suoh reluctantly stood away as one of the nurses pushed in front of him and slipped a needle under the tanned skin on the back of his bosses hand and then Kirishima and he had to let Asami be pushed away amid a swirl of blue uniforms.

"You can wait here," Dr Li insisted reaching up and putting a firm hand on the bespectacled man's chest as the pair automatically made to follow the retreating gurney and its cargo." until I return when we have news."

"We shall stay with him." Kirishima corrected.

The doctor looked up into the others small blank eyes and his shoulders slumped in defeat.  

"You may wait outside the surgery doors," he compromised." you must know that is as far as is safe for you to come."  

The big man gave a brief nod and as the doctor and Asami disappeared inside the operating theatre and the red entry light switched on they stood either side of the big doors and settled themselves down for the wait.

It took then both by surprise when, barely half an hour later, Dr Li returned through them again shrugging himself out of his surgical robes and dropping them in a laundry bag. Kirishima and Suoh straightened and exchanged a worried glance with each other as they faced the smaller man.

Surely the smaller man would not be looking so calm if the news were... were... well, of the worst kind Kirishima thought.

"Is ....?" he began.

"Asami san is as well as can be expected," the man said with a shake of his head." no, better than should be expected for anyone who has been shot."

"Good, good," Suoh nodded in relief." we thought the worst."

"Oh, the wound should have been deadly," the man continued." even to a Vampire as powerful as Asami san."

"Wha..what do you mean?" Kirishma asked in some confusion."

"Our fine leader was not just shot through the hepatic artery," the Doctor said raising a small bullet." an almost always fatal injury, he was shot with this."

The bodyguard took the small object between two thick fingers and as he and Suoh stared at it curiously as his finders began to sting uncomfortably.

"It is wooden." he commented swapping it to the palm of his other hand where it immediately began to irritate his skin there too. 

"One of my nurses is a vampire and she took ill as we were working to extract this thing." the man said nodding." I think it might be Rowan wood." 

"Rowan?" he asked the other man curiously. 

"Mountain Ash," he explained." but this is slicked with something stronger too." 

"Yet he lives." Kirishima asked holding the bullet carefully and feeling an uncomfortable tingle on his calloused skin spreading from it.

"Whatever you managed to cauterise it with saved him." Dr Li confirmed." His blood pressure was nearly off the bottom of our scale so he must have lost a lot of blood before that."

"Cauterised?" the big man queried, looking at his Suoh who shrugged.

"A very neat job you did as well." the man continued throwing his surgical gloves in the bin too. 

"We brought him straight here." Kirishima assured him." there was no cauterising."

"The bullet was deep in behind his liver," the doctor added looking at him strangely." but the blood vessels were sealed all down the wall's of the wound." 

"Maybe it was this." Kirishima looked at the disturbing little missile in the palm of his hand.

"I would imagine that horrible thing would only make things worse." Doctor Li said looking at it sceptically." Either way whatever caused it undoubtedly saved his life although meanwhile he is still very anaemic."

The doors behind the man swung open and Asami was pushed out, still unconscious and freshly bandaged with a large drip being trundled along beside him. He looked uncharacteristically pale to the two big men waiting for him but unmistakably alive and both let relief flow across them in a wave as they followed behind him to the spacious private room he had been allocated. The nurses adjusted everything to their satisfaction and after checking his VIP patient over carefully Dr Li left to organise his treatment plan leaving the two friends alone together with their leader. They stood silently on either side of the pallid body silently for a few minutes, watching the white bandages rise and fall with the tall man's steady breathing.

"Close run thing this time, Kazumi," Kirishima said at last." good driving." 

"It was you that stopped him bleeding out." Suoh replied quietly.

"Not I." he said and a possibility dawned on him now the emergency was over and he looked over to his friend his eyes suddenly round with surprise.

"The brat!" Suoh guessed.

"Takaba!" Kirishima spluttered at the same moment.

" Where is he?"


	10. Hide and seek.

"Damn it!" Kirishima cursed quietly remembering the boy leaning pale faced and shaking on the floor of their car." It was more than sentimental mumbo jumbo, Kazumi."

"What?" Suoh was mostly just still relieved at saving their friend from the 'Code Red' situation.

"It was Takaba," he replied." he did something and Asami.. well he stopped bleeding out."

"Stopped.. how?" the big man queried in confusion. 

"I am not sure," Kirishima felt a punch of guilt when he remembered Suoh inadvertently pushing aside Takaba as they struggled to tend to their felled leader." but he must still be in the car and we need to bring him in to get him checked out." 

The secretary elected to be the one to hurry on his retrieval mission of one, no doubt cold and traumatised boy from the back of their hastily abandoned limousine where it still sat in front of the clinic. The boy had clearly exhausted himself on tending Asami and he knew that whatever the emergency he should not have been cast aside that way. Kirishima felt guilty and would no doubt also have to answer to Asami for what he would perceive of as neglect of someone who was rapidly becoming a regular feature of their lives. As he made his way back through reception one of the nurses at the admissions desk gave him a curious look but he was an imposing man and he was used to catching others attention by his presence alone so he dismissed it. The car stood where they had left it in their rush to get Asami in to the clinic, the door still open and the passenger cab light still on but there was no sign of movement and Kirishima suddenly feared the worst as he approached it, now with a heavy heart.

"Takaba?" he called out and leaned in at the open door." Are you all right?"

There was blood, a lot of it, smeared over the seat and pooled in the thick carpet on the floor but to his confusion there was no boy either waiting nor, thank the gods, lying dead from what Kirishima accepted would have been from his neglect.

"Takaba?" he called out again standing outside the limo and looking around the near deserted car park for any sign of the boy." It is Kirishima, where are you?" 

There was no answer and he began to search around the cars parked nearest him, fishing in his pocket to drag out his phone to report Asami's progress and their whereabouts to his people back at Sion. The secretary was still looking as he was also organising back up and enough men to search for the missing boy more thoroughly too when the door of the clinic swung open and the nurse from the reception came out.

"You are with Asami san?" she called over to him wrapping her cardigan tighter over her uniform against the chill of the night air.

"Yes madam," he said quickly putting down his phone and moving towards her anxiously." is he all right?"

"Oh, yes, but this is not about him" she said looking at him doubtfully." you didn't loose a boy did you?"

"Perhaps." he replied cautiously slipping his phone back in his pocket. 

"A small scruffy blond one?" she said.

"Perhaps," he repeated ever cautious." why?"

"He stumbled inside," she said drawing her sweater closer." and gave some of the other patients a scare because he was smeared with blood."

"Yes, he is with our party." Kirishima said relief washing over him at the news that the boy was safe.

"He was shaking and seemed confused,"she continued." just kept asking for Asami san."

"No doubt," the man agreed." where is he."

"I am afraid that our security assumed he was a junkie," she said shaking her head apologetically." and they escorted him out rather roughly." 

"What!" Kirishima's nerves jumped taut again." Where did he go?"

"Sorry but I did not see that." The woman shrugged and turned to go back inside and Kirishima's blunt fingers gripped his short hair hard in frustration. He cursed under his breath wondering if Takaba had wandered off in his confusion or come to his senses and decided to cut his losses and head back to his apartment. Where on earth could the boy be he wondered or more realistically where was he likely to have had headed to if he had left the area.

He searched the flower beds and shrubbery more thoroughly this time as the uncomfortable thought of Akihito being ejected into the night in his weakened state alarmed him but despite his best effort Kirishima could find no trace of the little blond. Some time and much peering under parked cars later as he stood at the corner of the building looking either direction along the street for any sign of him. He cursed, where on earth was the brat and most of all he wondered, where was his bloody back up?

As if on cue a car all but silently cruised into the parking bay alongside their Limo and suited men issued out of it, their leader coming to stand before him with a short bow.

"Tatsuya, good," Kirishima greeted the broad man." Asami san is stabilised and I want two of you to work with Suoh san at his door."

"Hai," the man acknowledged.

"The boy, Takaba," he continued gruffly watching a second and then a third of their cars as they glided in beside the first." has either wandered or been taken. I need a thorough search to be made of these grounds and the area around for him."

"Of course, sir." the man turned on his heel to implement the orders while Kirishima answered the phone ringing insistently in his pocket.

"What news, Kirishima san?" the tense voice on the other requested and he recognised the voice of the overseers of their clean up teams.

"Good, he is well enough,Chi." he informed him." Did you recover the shipment successfully?"

"Yes," and there was a hesitation in his voice." but I am sending you pictures of one or two, er, inconsistencies in three of the commodities."

"Inconsistencies?" He said pausing in his investigation of what seemed to be the clinic's waste disposal area." What do you mean?" 

"Well," Chi hesitated." the three items have very unusual traits."  

"Speak freely," Kirishima assured as the photos came in he put the man on loudspeaker while he opened the gallery on his phone." this is a secure line so give me a full report."

"Well. they were all vampires, oriental but most were, I think, Chinese rather than Japanese. Two died of small bore gunshot wounds and one of a bite to the throat." the other said as if that were not unusual but he then paused again. As Kirishima scrolled through the photo's of the corpses he stopped at a picture of one of the men's faces. The veins stood out darkly in livid contrast against the pallor of the dead skin, highlighted as if by a black pen." I am not sure what exactly killed the others, but their blood seems to have coagulated somehow."

"Their blood?" Kirishima's brow creased in confusion staring at a close up of one of the dead men's hand on which each vein was obvious.

"Yes, one had a superficial bullet graze but all three died of this...well whatever it is." the man continued struggling for an accurate description. " The best way I can describe it is that it is as if their blood has turned to dust." 

In his suddenly constricted heart Kirishima knew the perpetrator and although he was not familiar with his means of execution he had a rough recollection of some half remembered story he had read when Asami first became involved with his little lover. The lover who had now gone missing on his watch and more and more could only be considered to be one rare and mythical thing.

A Kyuuketsuki. 

"Identities?" he demanded.

"Not known as of yet." Chi hesitated." The early indications are as I said that possibly some at least are Chinese."

"Chinese?" that seemed strange but not impossible.

"We have, of course, run tests," the man continued." and expect the results by morning."

"Good," Kirishima replied thoughtfully." keep me informed of any progress."

"Of course, sir," the man agreed." And the...commodities?"

"Bag the affected bodies and hold them for further inspection," he snapped." dispose of the rest as usual."

"And, Chi," he ordered." double the staff both to confirm their identities and to determine the cause of their deaths."

Putting his phone away Kirishima returned to their own vehicle and opened the expansive trunk. He allowed himself a small smile despite his frustration at being unable to find the boy as he pulled out three of the neatly stacked packages he always kept in there for just such emergencies as this. Freshly pressed suits and shirts for himself and also for both Suoh and Asami, all carefully packaged in cellophane so that their team could change their clothes to remove any stains or damage that their 'challenging' lifestyle might throw at them. He tucked them under his arm and strode up the steps and through the clinic doors just as Suoh was emerging from the private wards and ignoring the curious stares from those few people that were in the reception area they nodded. The big bodyguard looked tired and his usually smart appearance was instead dishevelled, his suit stained with what was undoubtedly dried blood and his face drawn and wan.

"Kazumi?" he asked sharply his breath catching in his throat and he was already pushing the ward door open with the flat of his hand.

"He is asleep." came the quick answer although Suoh followed him none the less, to be able to talk together in the greater privacy of the corridor beyond. 

"Good, good." he said letting out a long relieved breath." A close call but things could have turned out worse."

"The boy?"

"Still A.W.O.L.," Kirishima admitted as they arrived outside Asami's door where the two guards Suoh had placed there nodded at them respectfully." but we have enough resources, we will to do whatever we need to to find him.

"He may be safely holed up somewhere," the other shrugged." he is used enough to the city at night."

"I hope so as, all in all, Akihito is not a bad sort," his friend said with a shake of his head." and the boss won't be pleased if he has got himself lost, particularly if he proves to be what he seems to be."

They let themselves in to check up on their injured boss and were both relieved to see him sleeping peacefully the machines attached to him beeping and humming comfortingly. Kirishima went to the window and closed the curtains against the dark world outside before they left their injured boss to rest in the quiet room.

"You go and change first, Kazumi." Kirishima suggested as he let a doctor enter the guarded door to checked on Asami's condition. When she had finished her inspection he asked her respectfully." Is all well?"

"Yes, sir," the woman reported with a nod." Asami san is just sleeping now and his vital signs are all steadily improving. I have reduced his sedative dosage but I will leave him with the other drips in place, at least until the morning."

"Thank you." he said with relief." That is good news.

As the Doctor left to continue her rounds he dug out his phone again to check in on the progress of the search parties. Damn, he thought as he received a negative from them all, no sign anywhere of the missing boy, even the ones he had sent to his lodgings had drawn a blank. Surely... no he was not going to worry over the kidnap possibility as surely no one he could think off would have much interest in a scrawny photographer like him. He could only hope that the blond had taken himself somewhere safe to recuperate after his unfortunate ejection from the clinic and that he would turn up in the morning or at least get in contact with one of them. Maybe Kirishima would get a locator for him so that his position could be monitored whenever they might have a need or the boss wanted him. He texted the supplies officer to put a new, tagged phone aside for him to give to the boy when they found him now that he was, more or less, under Sion's security umbrella.

Suoh had returned, back to his usual presentable self and took over while Kirishima headed off to freshen up himself as well, returning twenty minutes later much refreshed from his shower and glad to be clear of his blood soaked clothes and now spic and span and their boss stable the pair felt better. 

"Anything?" he asked.

"All quiet here and nothing yet with the boy yet either, Kei," the other replied checking his texts." but I have men stationed at the residence of Saluko sama in case he returns there." 

Kirishima nodded, his hand already on Asami's door unable to resist his urge to check on his bosses wellbeing again and as he entered the room Suoh was, as ever, at his elbow. The room was only dimly lit by the range of machines whirring and clicking quietly as they monitored Asami's condition and a small night light, low down on the wall beside the door that cast deep shadows into the corners of the room.

Suoh silently put a large  hand on his arm to stop him, had the room really been this dark when they had entered it before?

Kirishima's hand slipped automatically onto the familiar curve of the gun strapped tightly to his chest and from the corner of his eye he saw his friend mirror his action beside him. He tried to see through the dim light for any danger that might be lurking in the corners of Asami's room, creeping silently, nimble footed for a man of his size, until he reached the foot of Asami's bed. Nothing moved or seemed out of place, he dipped his head to check beneath the tall hospital bed where the injured man lay but no shadow lurked there nor behind the small settee in the corner when Suoh checked that space too.

Then he felt it against his cheek.

A breath of chill fresh air that had no place in the thermostatically controlled environment of an expensively run modern hospital room.

The curtain gave a gentle but unmistakable ripple of movement as he peered at it through the gloom and he aimed and cocked his pistol as he moved stealthily forward towards the previously closed window. Whoever might be hiding behind the long drapes had made a fatal mistake Asami had already been hurt once tonight in circumstances beyond his control but now there would be no mistakes, by breaking uninvited into his injured friend's room while he and Suoh were on duty the intruder has just signed his own death warrant.

Kirishima glanced across to his colleague who, gun in hand gave him a terse nod and snatched back the curtains with a flourish aiming to kill whoever cowered there.

Nothing but the window was definitely open a dozen or so inches where it should have been closed.

He turned angrily back to face the room, glaring around its bland confines in frustration and motioning silently to his comrade to continue their search, still convinced there was an intruder. Nothing seemed out of place though and there were no other spaces that anyone could hide themselves away in.  

"Sss!" Suoh hissed quietly from where he stood nearer the bed and pointed, in the light now reflected from the streetlights through the narrow gap in the drapes he could see a small heap of what seemed to be clothes piled loosely on the bedside chair. He exchanged a surprised stare with the big bodyguard who was waving him closer with his gun and he could just make out in the poor light that his finger pressed tightly to his lips.

Had Suoh spotted something else he wondered as he inched nearer to where the huge hand moved to rest on Asami's coverlet? Then Kirishima stiffened, his gun coming up defensively once again as he made out what seemed, on closer inspection, to be the unnatural shape of his friends body below the sheets.

In one swift, silent move Suoh swept back the covers from Asami's body as the bodyguards simultaneously aimed and cocked their weapons at the figure that lay hidden beneath!

Both big men reeled back in shock as long, thin fingers attached themselves to the sheet and tried vainly to pull it back into place over a pale, slender body, clad only in a pair of Pikachu boxers, that was snuggled as tightly as it could into their bosses big, tanned, sleeping chest.

"Hey! Go 'way, K'shima!" a grumpy voice mumbled from the bed." 'S cold 'n 'm still tired."


	11. Pillow talk.

As soon as the Limo stopped the door was thrown open and Akihito was unwittingly shoved aside as the two big bodyguards focused on helping Asami into the waiting arms of a small army of medics. In a whirlwind of activity the unconscious Alpha was, in a matter of moments, whisked unceremoniously from his arms and off through the sliding doors and away into the bright lights beyond. When the doors slid shut behind the circus a relative calm descended on the car park in which he was left, slumped wearily back against the driver's wall of the car, leaning his head back and closing his eyes with a deep sigh.

"Uh?" he jerked alert then groaned as the stiffness of his muscles twinged painfully.

Had he actually dozed off and if so for how long and where was everybody?

Then with a twist of his heart he realised the question he most wanted an answer to was, how was Asami?

"Ow!" he mumbled slowly unfurling his long legs and shuffling himself forward to sit on the edge of the car's floor with his feet on the tarmac outside. He looked around although he could not see anyone who he could call out too for a helping hand but he could see movement through the glass doors of what must be the entrance to the facility. He knew that Asami must be somewhere inside and he wanted nothing more than to find his big lover so that he could reassure himself that he was all right after the near deadly assault they had suffered earlier in the park.

"Get outta here, kid," two security guards had honed in on him before he had managed to stagger two paces into the luxurious reception area." this isn't an emergency department."

"A man was brought in." he muttered wearily as the two manhandled him hurriedly out of the door being careful not to get blood on their uniforms." Asami."

"We don't always use names here," the taller man replied tersely." and anyway a punk like you would do well to keep well away from most of our clients." 

"But.." he could here the waiver in his voice as the man pushed him outside.

"Beat it," the shorter man's push was harder than the first making the slight boy stumble and fall." or we'll have to beat you!"

Akihito couldn't muster the energy to fight the men so with an unpleasant grin on the smaller ones face the others returned inside leaving him slumped wearily on the cold ground. 

"Damn it!" he muttered dragging himself slowly back to his feet and swaying slightly made his way back to the limo to try to gather his thoughts. He opened the drivers door and pulled himself up into the soft seat and then resting his head he looked at the Clinic, trying to fight against the cotton wool that filled his brain and turn his thoughts to making some sort of a plan. He was soon almost dozing again, his thoughts slipping away with exhaustion while watching the rooms and nurses on the second floor but he snapped alert and dodged back into the shadows of the interior when a large, familiar shape suddenly loomed at one of the windows near the far end of the building.

Kirishima! The big guard looked outside briefly before drawing the curtains on what must surely be Asami's room. Aki felt a run of adrenaline surge along his veins at the thought of him so close, if they were in a room and not the still in the theatre or wherever they put endangered patients then surely his efforts must have been enough to save him. He pushed himself up on the wave of energy and made his way towards the now blank window, scanning the building for a way in and as he rounded the corner and looked up. He smiled a modern building like this would have to conform to the safety building regulations and there it was, a fire ladder barely half way up.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

Aki knew he was tired when his muscles complained as he scrambled up on to the nearest windowsill and then began to shimmy up the drainpipe above it in what should have been easy climb for him. He hung from the bottom rung for a moment to gather his strength to climb up the short ladder before hauling himself over the edge to sit, panting with the exertion, on the low balustrade.

Phew, he encouraged himself silently, nearly there. Akihito counted along to what he hoped was Asami's window before gingerly lowering himself over the edge and hanging for a moment from the roof before his reaching toes felt the window frame. With a wriggle and a slide with what remained of his energy he found himself tugging at the latch and managed to open the window just enough to slip his narrow body through the gap. He landed inside on gloriously soft carpet which not only cushioned his fall but also deadened any noise his bony behind might have made as he landed. Pulling himself up on a nearby chair he peered around the room then moved as carefully as he could to the tall bed surrounded by bleeping monitors.

"Asami!" he sighed in relief as he came to lean in close to his prone lover running a hand through the sable silk of his hair before placing a chaste kiss on the man's pale somewhat clammy forehead. The man smelled of hospitals of course and his right side was wired and tubed but to Aki's intense relief he looked more asleep than unconscious the boy thought as he leaned back a little to study his handsome face.

Having got him here the adrenaline had run its course and now he just felt drained and bone weary, perhaps he could make himself comfy on the bedside chair for the night? Aki slumped down on to it and tried wriggling and turning in to a dozen different positions to no avail.  And, dammit, those lights were brighter than the sun! He rose to his feet once more to go and dim them a little as he reasoned that Asami would sleep better in a darker room too so still watching his lover he crossed the room to the light switches beside the door.

Asami looked so comfortable lying there peacefully sleeping in his warm cosy bed.

His warm, cosy, BIG bed.

Surely he would not begrudge his poor, tired little lover a small space beside him he reasoned as he dimmed the room's lights and made his way back to the others bedside? He looked at the smooth white bedding and then down at himself and even in the now near dark he could see how filthy and stained his clothes were and he knew he should not besmirch the clean covers. With a tired sigh he toed off his shoes and dragged his dirty shirt and jeans off altogether until he eventually clambered carefully on to the tall bed in only his underwear.

Clad, the room was warm but in only boxers Aki shivered and felt the goosebumps rise all over him at the small, chilly breeze from the still slightly open window behind him. He knew that he should really get up and close it but the bed was sooo soft and surely Asami wouldn't mind if he just slipped beneath the sheet to warm up, just for a few minutes?

Oh, by all the gods, how could one man be so warm he thought, he should check him for fever when he had gathered a little strength? Surely Asami would not mind if he put his arm very carefully up on his gorgeous broad chest well away, of course, from his wound?

Akihito snuggled up to his giant human teddy bear with a content sigh. Surely Asami would not mind if he closed his eyes, just for one minute, until he had warmed up thoroughly again?

And then his soft snores added to Asami's deep steady breathing and the little beeps and whirrs of the machines were all that made up the noises in the quiet room.

xxx

How could his eyelids be so heavy Asami wondered hazily as he began to awaken, swimming up from the depths of sleep as if through molasses to arrive at an unfamiliar, dimly lit room. He tensed every muscle in his horribly aching body, on high alert as he struggled to remember where he was.

The park, Aki hopping back and forth feeding those fish with the children, the ambush, that creature manhandling his boy in that unforgivable manner and then a struggle followed by the sharp familiar pain of the bullet and the beautiful face full of concern looking at him with wide frightened blue eyes.

Akihito!

Snapping wide awake in an instant Asami tried to sit up but felt a sharp pain in his gut and the pull of the needles that were attached to the drips he could now see hanging beside what was obviously a hospital bed, added to which there seemed to be a weight pressing his left side down too. He lay still attempting to gather his thoughts before trying to pull away from whatever dead weight was holding him down when to his amazement it shifted for itself and as he felt it give his arm what distinctly felt like a nip, his heart lurched in his chest.

"Mmmm." the weight's grumble was muffled by his bedding and he tentatively pushed down the coverlet with his good hand to reveal a straw pale shock of hair. 

"Hello, kitten." he rumbled, relaxing at the welcome sight and feel of Akihito snuggled in close to his overly hot side blinking up at him with large sleepy eyes helped the roiling in his stomach.  

"Mmmm." Aki hummed in return turning his face to drop a small kiss on his flank and the bigger man settled back against his pillows and he placed a heavy arm around the smaller body as it cuddled in even closer to his side. The wound in his side twinged and his head hurt and the unease he felt in his body was something more than the wound but he tried to put it to the back of his mind and enjoy the feel of the soft skin pressed against his as distraction.

Maybe they both napped a little then in the safety and warmth of their mutual bed because the next thing Asami became aware of was the door opening and a nurse entering his room, Suoh followed half a pace behind and he stopped stock still when he saw that Asami was watching through hooded eyes.

"It is good to see you awake, Ryuchi," he said in his usual monotone as the nurse went about her work." how are you feeling?"

"I have felt better," his boss admitted wearily as his head felt as if it was ready to explode." but we have both felt worse."

"Unfortunately the bullet was laced with poison," the big man confided." and they cannot yet say when it will clear your system."

"I want this attack resolved quickly, Kei," Asami insisted even as he felt himself reluctantly weakening back into sleep." and time is not something we have in plenty."

"Resources are already in place," his friend soothed." and the morning should bring some answers."

"Hai," he said quietly, his aching head dropping back onto his pillows." as ever, I have complete faith in you, old friend." 

"And visitors, Ryuchi," acknowledged with a nod his eyes moving to where a few tufts of pale hair showed above the coverlet at the others side." do you want more peace to rest?"

"Thank you, but no," Asami assured him as the nurse finished and began to leave." the present arrangements suit me well enough."

"Rest then, Ryuchi," he said following her." I will be just outside if you require anything."

Asami was aching too much to succeed as he attempted drifting back into sleep, failing too to keep from shifting himself to try to ease some of the pain the evenings drama had left him with. Was it the poison Kirishima had talked of? He shifted a little once more and this time he could not suppress a low groan at the painful drag on his muscles. Perhaps he should ask for something to take the edge off of it? 

"I am glad you are alive," a small voice mumbled from his side." but some of us are trying to sleep, can you please lie still."

"Ha," he squeezed his good arm more tightly found his boy's shoulders and trying to ignore his increasing discomfort." I am trying to."

"Is it the elfshot?" a tousled head appeared above the blanket." It was made of rowan wood you know."

"Mountain Ash?" Asami frowned down at him." Like those disgusting pills Kirishima made me take?"

"A bit, but those were more like homeopathy," the boy said dragging his fingers roughly through his wild hair anxiously." these were elfshot, meant to kill and corrupt your kind, it was doused in monkshood. You do look terrible." 

"Kirishima said they had used poison." which he knew explained his spinning head and at least some of his aches." Monkshood, that is not good, there is no sure cure for that is there?" 

"No, but I can help you." Akihito said hitching himself up on one elbow to look down with concern on the older man's pale, sweating face as he began to shiver beside him." You are becoming feverish now too."

"Of course," the other tried to smile but his body was shaking too much by now." if your offer is to kiss it better, I accept willingly." 

"Asami!" Aki blushed beet red and looked towards the door as if someone might burst in on them." Not that, idiot, we have a.. well, developed a tolerance to elfshot that you vampires have not."

"You, as in your family?" Asami was beginning to feel too hot now and pushed back his covers in frustration. " Congratulations, but I do not see how that can help me?"

"You can have some of my anti venom from me, if you want" he answered almost shyly." because it is present in my blood too."

"Blood?" the big man was confused as the boy offered him his arm. 

"You can take enough from here." he explained waving his wrist at him." It should help."

"I could kill you." Asami said shaking his increasingly sore head reluctantly.

"I trust you not to," the blond gave him a soft kiss on his fever reddened cheek." and be assured the monkshood working on you as we speak, is far more deadly."

"I can ring for the doctors," he tried again, still uncharacteristically unsure." they may have something."

"No, this is surer," the boy repeated." do it now." 

His eyes were a soft blue in the dim light of their room as he leaned closer into his flank and raised his thin arm to lie high up on Asami's chest.

"Are you sure?" he asked again quietly trying to think calmly through his pounding headache although he allowed his fangs to drop in preparation to drink.

"Yes. I want you too," The blond head dipped in an almost imperceptible nod, then came to rest on his chest the dark lashes dropping as Aki closed his eyes." but make it swift though."

Asami paused for a moment then wrapped one large hand around the slender one and brought it up to his dry lips before tasting Akihito's unique, delicious flavour with the tip of his tongue. He felt the other's deep intake of breath at his touch and rather than extend the intense moment any longer than he had to he bit into the soft, thin meat of the boy's wrist. 


	12. R and R.

Akihito hissed and his body tensed against his at the bite and for an instant Asami nearly relinquished his grip but the light muscles relaxed where his hand rested along the others ribs as the hiss of pain veered towards a sigh. The first taste of Aki's blood in his mouth was finer than the best champagne, light and almost sweet with a freshness that was all the boy's own.

"Ah, Asami!" the boy moaned between clenched teeth and the man hesitated, licking the nectar from his lips until the blue eyes flew open again." No, keep going!"

Hesitantly he drew another shallow draft, and then another deeper one keeping his gaze firmly on his boy's expressive face as he drank. The others cheek still lay on his chest with the small body curled loosely under the sheet beside him, the soft eyes watching him almost sleepily as the delicious stream settled like a soothing balm in his throat and over the unsettled walls of his stomach. 

The boy's lovely face remained calm as Asami drank in his fill as he had done from a hundred other 'donor's' over the years but this time, it and he, felt totally different. He felt stronger even as his stomach was settling and the poison began to be quelled and with no need to demand this blood which was being given as a gift he enjoyed the rarefied draft all the more. He was careful too though, and without being bidden as he saw the large eyes beginning to blink wearily he reluctantly lightened his grip on the delicate meat of the others forearm.

"Have more," whispered the boy without moving." I trust you, take what you need."

"I have had enough." Asami let his fangs slip free and then he laved carefully across the incision they had made in the soft skin." Thank you."

"Mmm," Aki slurred, his thick lashes drooping on to his cheek sleepily. "s'good then?" 

"Very good." Asami said pulling his generous little lover, awkwardly with his one arm, into a more comfortable position beside him and then he lay back definitely feeling the benefit of the antivenom working through his body now that he had ingested the others blood.

"Hmmm." was his only reply as the blond head nestled back down against his chest again.

"You've done well," he rarely gave praise and the words sat strangely on his tongue as he pulled the blankets back over the thin body." sleep now."

"Mmm." Aki breathed before he was already starting to snore softly against his big lovers ribs as Asami shifted himself into a more comfortable position to try to find some much needed rest for himself too.

Akihito did not stir when the next round of checkups happened some time later, and although the doctor glanced over at the sleeping boy she made no comment on the unorthodox arrangement and he made a mental note to add a hefty bonus to be added to her pay as a reward for her discretion. 

"You seem better in yourself, Asami san." she observed as she checked his charts, Kieishima standing guard silently at the door.

"I am feeling better." he agreed, although he had yet to sleep having refused any sleeping drafts." the migraine has lifted."

"Good," she nodded in satisfaction." then I will repeat your prescription and see you in the morning. Rest well."

Asami settled back as the door clicked shut behind them, not expecting sleep but determined to try and follow the doctor's orders and just closed his eyes to rest them. 

"Asami san?" a voice was asking him something. Couldn't they give him a moments peace to rest he thought angrily as he reluctantly opened his eyes? 

But now daylight streamed in on the partly drawn curtains and he realised that it must be morning and that meant that he must have slept after all. Akihito did not move from where he lay cheek still lying on Asami's broad chest and one white arm carelessly thrown across the tight muscles of the bigger man's belly. Asami tentatively began to shift himself more upright and Kirishima was by his side helping him in an instant so that he was able to be half sitting up although propped high on a small hill of pillows. Aki only wriggled close again leaving a small smear of drool on his lover's skin but not waking.

Kirishima raised an eyebrow.

Asami allowed himself a small smile at it and merely moved the slender hand up on to his chest to allow the doctor to freely go about her business.

"You are making an excellent recovery, Asami san." The doctor informed him when she had changed his drip." Your surgery has been arranged for two but thankfully it will not be as complex as we feared when you were admitted." 

"Surgery?" he said coldly.

"A small adjustment to your stitches," she confirmed." and a temporary drain to prevent infection, nothing more."

"I was expecting to be released today." Asami stated bluntly.

"You must realise that your wound was very serious, Asami san." she persisted." If all is well then you MAY be considered for release in three days."

"We shall see." was all he would concede." Thank you, Doctor."

"You know that they know best, Ryuchi." Kirishima told him ruefully as the door closed behind her." You pay highly for their advise, do not torment them."

"And you know I have no patience for hospitals, Kei." his friend scolded him mildly." What have you found out about the ambush?"

"Very little as of yet," the big man shook his head and scrolled through his phone for the strange vein marks on the bodies that had been recovered from the park." only to confirm that two at least were indeed Chinese and this."

"What are those?" Asami peered at the photos.

"These three died of something new," Kirishima said showing him the rest of the pictures." the doctor thought perhaps it was something in their circulation."

"The poison from the bullet?" he speculated.

"Maybe," the big man shrugged." samples have already been sent to the labs for analysis, they may show any poison if it is still present."

"Its use by the triads is strange but not unheard of," Asami eased himself into a more comfortable position causing Akihito to huff quietly before resuming his sleep when the bigger man drew his fingers through his hair to sooth him. Looking down at his small bedmate his brow furrowed thoughtfully." and we still don't know their exact objective?"

"Not as yet."

"You will take the boy to the penthouse yourself if I must get surgery." Asami ordered." and he must wait there until my return."

"As you wish, Ryu." Kirishima agreed.

Asami rested again but could not sleep, his mind a whirl of thoughts about the attack, he listened to Aki's deep even breathing beside him and let his mind run, glad that at least his headache had lifted and his stomach has settled. Nurses came and went under Kirishima's watchful eye until the time came, late in the morning for his pre meds when he peeled himself out from under his still clinging little companion.

"Akihito?" he started quietly peeking at him where he rested beneath the sheet but the boy did not stir.

"Akihito?" he said more loudly, pulling back the blanket from a white shoulder but there was still no response beyond the other curling in on himself. 

"Akihito!" he demanded pulling back the covers to his waist this time and one pale arm was thrown across the grimacing face.

"Akihito," he commanded sternly this time." Wake up!"

"Hnn, Asami, Shh," the boy rasped grumpily searching around for a blanket with his hand." I want more sleep!"

"You are going back to Sion with Kirishima." the man instructed, sliding a big hand down the curve of smooth flesh till he reached the ridiculous underpants." You can sleep there."

"I am staying with you!" the boy resisted, awake now and ready to argue the point.

"I have to go for a little ' embroidery'," Asami said smiling at the Pikachu's waving up at him from the boys pants." I will join you later."

"Embroi...you mean you need more stitches?" Aki sat up, wide awake in an instant." Are you all right?"

"Fine, fine, I feel much better thanks to you," the man soothed his warm hand over the others knee." but you cannot stay here so you need to go back to the penthouse. You can sleep there."

 "I suppose so, but if we go who will take care of you?" he rationalised his brows dipping anxiously.

"Suoh has slept already and will stay with me," he comforted, pleased at the others concern." it is time for both you and Kirishima to get some rest."

Aki reluctantly agreed and slowly dragged on the set of clothes that Kirishima had organised to be brought for him. Dressed in the surprisingly well fitting ( how did that man do these things?) jeans and shirt and slipping on a pair of (rather dull) sand shoes he pulled on the silver dragon jacket that the big secretary held out for him. There were a small army of nursing staff swarming around their patient by then and he looked at Asami with sad eyes, too shy too say the farewell to his lover that he would have liked. He caught man's eye over an orderly's back where he was working to move the bed and gestured to him with his good hand.

"Good luck, Asami san." he said trying to keep his voice calm and expecting a polite nod if anything as acknowledgement in this crowded room.but a hand slipped instead around the nape of his neck and drew him in to an open mouthed kiss instead. When Asami released him he knew he was blushing beetroot red from the roots of his hair upwards and he saw his lovers thin lips twist into a smirk at his obvious embarrassment.

"Be good, kitten," the big man instructed without a glimmer of self consciousness apparent on his handsome face." and do as Kirishima tells you."

"I will." he mumbled in reply too overcome to argue as Asami and his entourage swept him out of the room and headed down towards the theatre leaving him standing forlornly in the corridor.

"Suoh and I are to see Asami san to the surgeon and then I will return for you." Kirishima ordered him firmly." Wait here with the guards."

Aki nodded obediently and went to look out of the window while he waited when two orderlies came towards him along the corridor and he was rather taken aback when they gave him a cold, disapproving look.

"That's him." one said to the other as they walked past him towards Asami's room casting him an unfriendly scowl. 

"I know he is loaded," the other replied glaring at the boy and intentionally loud enough for him but not Asami's men to hear." but even he should not be allowed to keep one of his trashy little pets with him like that!"

Akihito's heart fluttered in his chest painfully at the unexpected, hurtful words and he felt tears spring up unbidden behind his eyes. He knew, of course, that his unconventional friendship with Asami would be frowned on by some but to hear it put so bluntly after the horrors and strain of the past day made it particularly hard to bear.

A pet.

The man had called him Asami's pet!

Was that how everyone saw him. Kirishima and the doctor and maybe even the stone faced sentries still standing by Asami's bedroom doors?

Aki wanted to get away and collect his thoughts somewhere quiet but as he tried to leave the corridor one of the guards quickly moved between him and the outside door.

"Takaba san," the man said, and his face seemed at that moment to Aki to resemble a stony mask." Kirishima san instructed you to wait here."

The boy halted unwilling to make the scene his exit might initiate and had to content himself with turning his back to the corridor along with anyone in it and face resolutely towards the window. Kirishima found him there with his forehead resting wearily on the cool glass to extinguish his blushes and if the secretary noticed his wet, reddened eyes he hope that the big man would just put it down to his worrying about Asami. 

The journey back to Sion was almost silent, Aki was grateful to Kirishima that he had held the door open for him to travel in the front of the Limo so that he would not have to be alone with his thoughts in the empty passenger seats. Instead he tried not to be upset by the bitchy words that the orderlies had said as he watched the traffic and pedestrians enjoying their lives all but oblivious of them as they drove through the streets. Arriving at Sion and then descending into the relative gloom of the underground car park and then the big secretary accompanied him all the way up to the penthouse and past the guards in the now familiar private corridor that led to Asami's living quarters. 

"You will wait here, Takaba sama" Kirishima instructed him not unkindly." and I will inform you if there is any news of Asami san. I suggest you sleep but there is a range of food and drinks available as usual in the kitchen if you wish to eat and I will arrange for a more substantial dinner to be sent up for you later."

"Thank you, Kirishima san." and to his own surprise he gave a short formal bow to the older man who, to his credit, returned one in kind to him without batting an eyelid.

The big door closed with a solid click behind him and with a deep sigh Akihito found himself alone and somewhat at a loss as to what to do in the big too quiet apartment. He resolutely kept the harsh words out of his mind, casting the two men who had insulted him as thoughtless and shallow minded. Really he should head straight for the bathroom for a shower as he had only had time for a very quick wash in the sink in Asami's hospital room but he wanted to take a few minutes to settle his nerves after such a fraught twenty four hours. His thoughts kept returning to Asami and how things might be going at the surgery but he knew, in truth, that there was no real point in worrying about it so instead he got himself a can of orange soda and some delicious looking tuna steak from the fridge and wandered through to the huge sitting room. He turned on the TV to take his mind off things before slumping down on the plush sofa to flick through the channels eventually settling down to watch a black and white creature feature that happened to catch his eye.

The wobbly plastic horns plastered to somebody's pet lizard in the movie made Aki smile a little but then, when what looked to be a baby crocodile seemed to bite it he was glad that some things were no longer politically correct. He enjoyed the over the top acting though and as he finished of his snacks he lay back and settled into the cushions, the effects were not so bad either were his last thoughts as first he dozed and then slipped gently into a deeper sleep.

Akihito woke almost as slowly finding the room bathed in the orange glow of what could only be sunset and he stretched and licked his dry lips as his thoughts gathered together. He reached over to pick up his phone and quickly scanned for calls and then scrolled through his texts taking a deep breath before opening the last one that had come from a private number.

_'Asami san well and now sleeping.'_

Thank all the gods, he thought letting out a breath he did not know that he was holding, it was not a lot of news but what there was was good. He wondered if he should phone Suoh and try to get more information but he could just imagine the stilted conversation that he would, no doubt, have with the mammoth bodyguard. Perhaps he could phone the somewhat more approachable Kirishima?

No, Aki would just have to content himself with what little he had already received until Asami's secretary brought him up his evening meal, probably relatively soon if the darkening sky outside was anything to go by. In between times he could at least take a shower and change into fresh clothes with the hope that he could go to the hospital to be there when Asami should awaken and even better, stuff the unworthy opinions of those narrow minded orderlies, hopefully he would be able to stay there the night again.

Aki ran a deep, steaming bath and stayed in it for a long, relaxing soak until his skin started to prune and he began to feel much fresher and in better spirits. He wondered if Asami would have woken yet and hoped that Kirishima would not forget about him in his always hectic schedule. Hopping out of the tub and draping one of the soft white towels around his narrow hips he headed back towards the sitting room to check his phone for any new messages.

He was enjoying the luxurious softness of Asami's towel that he was rubbing his hair dry with and humming some candyfloss pop tune that was his current, go to, ear worm when he was stopped dead in his tracks, surprised by a figure standing in front of him in the hallway.

"Well, hello there." The blond young man said tipping his head to the side and looking at Akihito with quizzical brown eyes.

"Hi." Aki blurted out, struggling to put a context to the handsome, vaguely familiar face and then he remembered where they had met before." I am so sorry you got bowled over the other day at the restaurant, are you all right?"

"That's OK, anyway the likes of us have to stick together don't we?" the other said stretching out a well manicured hand for him to shake with a bland smile on his lips that did not seem to quite reach those dark eyes.

What could the man mean 'the likes of us' Aki puzzled as he put his hand out politely towards the other in return.

"My name is Sudoh by the way, Sudoh Shuu."


	13. The lovely Sudoh.

"And I..." Aki began, still flustered by the blond human's unexpected appearance in the penthouse.

"Oh," the man said winking at him conspiratorially." I know exactly who you are." 

"Um...really?" Aki stuttered in confusion. Why on earth would this man know about him?

"Well, Akihito isn't it? I do know that you are Ryuchi's.." the man paused as if considering his words carefully."..current choice?"

"Current choice?" what was this Sudoh meaning and who was he that he called his...the yakuza by his given name so casually.

"Oh, you don't have to be coy with me." the other said toeing off his shoes beside the front door and walking confidently off towards the living area while still holding a chiller bag laden with what smelled like it might be the food Kirishima had ordered for him. 

"Asami san is not home at present," Aki tried not to scuttle as he hurried to catch up with the other man." can I help you?"

"So I have been told." Sudoh said without turning round." some trouble yesterday I understand."

"Well..." Aki was not that experienced with people but he felt a sudden distinct reluctance to discuss Asami with this elegant creature.

"So Ryu is still away?" Sudoh confirmed dumping down the bag on one of the work surfaces in the kitchen and turning to look thoughtfully at the boy." Just the two of us for dinner then?"

"Two for Dinner?" he said looking at the chiller." You are staying?"

"Of course." the man replied without hesitation." I had meant to call round sooner to see Ryu but you know how things are."

Ryu now, Aki thought uncomfortably, how was it that this strange creature was so familiar with Asami? He watched as he handsome man gathered plates and glasses before putting them on the breakfast counter and he certainly seemed to know his way around the lay out of the kitchen. To his dismay he realised that Sudoh was flitting about the place like he owned it, confident and almost graceful in his preparations for the meal he made Aki feel self conscious and gauche by comparison.

And as he watched the other, to his dismay Aki had begun to make some other, increasingly obvious and rather unflattering comparisons between the other blond and himself. Although a few years older than him he was slim and boyish like himself but in the younger man's eyes Sudoh seemed more sophisticated and handsome than he could ever hope to be and although he was decidedly not a natural blond like Akihito his darker oriental skin might be considered by many to be in perfect contrast to its tone. 

"Shoo, shoo, little one," his visitor said slyly smirking as those dark eyes slowly raked down his body and then waving him away as he put out the plates." I wouldn't like that towel to slip, well not till we know each other a bit better anyway." 

Aki tried to make a dignified exit but he felt that he had been dismissed by the much more urbane man who was so at home in Asami's apartment. It was clear that the stunning blond had some sort of entitlement with Asami and it seemed by the overtly possessive way Sudoh was behaving around the place that it was more than likely some sort of intimate one. The boy felt out of kilter without the mans huge presence and wished now that he had not left his side where he had felt so secure and.. yes, cherished only hours ago. He wished Asami was here to clarify things about the stunning blond presently monopolising his kitchen, but of course he was not and Akihito's mind kept running through those words.

Sudoh had said 'the likes of us'.

What or rather who had he meant?

Sadly Aki thought with a sigh as he zipped up his jeans, he was pretty certain he could guess. 

'One of us' he had hinted, did that mean there were even more than just two pretty, boyish blondes in Asami's life?

Akihito went through to the en suite to give himself a splash of cold water to straighten out his thoughts and pulled a shirt on, he rested his hands on the wash stand looking at himself in the big mirror above the sink. The pale tired looking youth that looked back seemed to his own eyes to look washed out and rather forlorn instead of the feisty one that usually regarded him, he wondered if his body were not suffering more than he had realised from his contact with that disgusting poison he had contact with when working on his lovers wounds.

His lover.

There was that niggling doubt again.

Could he have misread this whole 'Asami' thing so badly?

He shook his shaggy head at himself.

"Man up, Akihito!" he whispered to his reflection, he wasn't ready to give up on his newly blossomed hopes for this annoying upstart of a guy. Asami had always been straight with him and although Sudoh obviously had something going on with the big Alpha it was just something he would have to ask him about later when they had both fully recovered.

He could trust Asami.

Right?

Right!

Aki returned to the kitchen with what he hoped looked like a confident step where Sudoh had already plated up their food from its containers and was seated with a glass of what looked to be Asami's best whiskey in his hand. The older man looked up as the other took his place and and proffered his drink.

"Want one?"

"I will stick to water, thank you." he would have preferred an orange soda but thought that sounded to babyish in front of the other so started on his food instead. The food looked delicious but it tasted a bit bitter in parts, he thought that might just be a consequence of his contact with the elfshot earlier too so he ate stoically unable to concentrate because Sudoh didn't stop talking.

About himself.

Endlessly.

"I could have worked anywhere in the world!" the man simpered, his toothy smile still missing from his eyes." I was at the top of the modelling business by then but I chose Asami and working in management for him means we can see so much more of each other." 

"Did Kirishima San send you?" Aki asked as the other popped a piece of fish into his mouth leaving a pause in his chattering at last while he chewed it.

"An order was placed this evening with my restaurant " Sudoh said with an unreadable expression on his bronzed face. " for me to bring a special order of prime sushi, and a sweet potato ice cream to the penthouse."

"Ice cream?" Aki looked up hopefully.

"I had thought it was for Asami and I of course." the other man finished his whiskey with an audible gulp.

"What the ice cream?" the boy looked at him in confusion." I thought that Asami hated sweet food?"

"But I don't," the man's hooded eyes concentrated on pouring himself another finger of whiskey." all he would have had to do was wear it."

"Wear...?" Aki looked even more confused until a thought suddenly occurred to him and his face flushed a brilliant scarlet." Oh my god, you mean so...!"

"Of course!" Sudoh beamed his first genuine smile as Aki's words spluttered to a horrified halt." Haven't you tried that with Ryu yet?"

"No, of course not!" the boy could not look at the other and just stuffed the last mouthful of the tasteless meal into his mouth to cover his embarrassment.

"Really," the older man observed Aki's unease, his eyes now focusing on the boy with interest." and I wonder then, what else you have not tried with our big bold rat, little country mouse?"

"Did you just call Asami a rat?" Aki nearly choked on his food. " And anyway I really don't think that we should be discussing s...this kind of thing, I barely know you!" 

"But," the handsome human had risen from his seat." that is exactly why we are both here, is it not?"

"No! Well..." the boy was obviously out of his depth. " Asami and I, we...."

"Are just friends?" Sudoh was openly smirking at his discomfort now." You really want me to believe that you two haven't made out?"

"Well, ye..." Aki stuttered dropping his dishes into the washer to hide his shame." but we are friends too!"

"Friends? Are you really so naive?" the other scoffed shaking his head." The great Asami Ryuchi does not do friends."

"Perhaps you should go now?" Aki suggested his thoughts now in a spin.

"Me go?" the man's handsome face was red as he breathed down at him angrily." It is you that should not be here what do you think you could offer such a prince as Asami that I could not offer him tenfold?"

"I..." Sudoh was on his feet as well now and loomed over Aki, just a little bit taller and just a little bit heavier than the boy.

"You little upstart," Sudoh's eyes flashed icily." who do you think you are to order ME about?" 

"Please," Akihito's stomach turned and his head was sore as he struggled to remain polite to Asami's guest." just leave."

"It is you that should be leaving," the other spat." you and your tender little heart!"

"Asami," the boy replied through gritted teeth." told me to wait here."

"I bet he did," Sudoh raked his glare up and down the other." because he enjoys developing new talent you idiot."

"He is not like that," his head was spinning clear thoughts away." he wants me here to keep me safe!  

"Safe?" the handsome face dropped then twisted.

"After yesterday...and stuff," Aki said rubbing his palms across his aching eyes." he told Kirishima to keep me here where I would be safe/" 

"Safe? Here?" Sudoh's mouth became a thin, bitter line." For Asami maybe but not from him!"

"The guards," Aki gestured vaguely towards the front door feeling sick to his stomach now." Asami wanted to take care of me."

"Stupid boy, they are there as much to keep you in as others out," the man spat back." they will keep you here maybe, but only for him to play with later."

"STOP!" the boy shouted holding his hand out as if that would deflect the others words." Asami is my.. friend."

"Really?" the other said his disbelief evident.  

"He would never hurt me!" Aki snapped, despite his pounding head ache.

"Never hurt...!" Sudoh stammered and when the boy looked at his face he thought he could see dismay written across it before the anger smothered it." Ryuchi does not hurt you?

"No," Aki insisted adamantly glancing up at him angrily." of course not, what do you think he is!""

"Th...that is not possible.. he..!" The older man spluttered and his face was now beetroot red with fury before he grabbed the boy's thin arm." Come with me!"

"Hey!" Aki objected as he was pulled along by the surprisingly strong hand and for a moment Aki felt his compulsion bloom defensively within him before, reminding himself of Sudoh's humanity, he quickly suppressed it.

"I will show you what Asami is." the other hissed dragging the reluctant boy into Asami's bedroom.

"What are you doing!" Aki objected as the other opened the walk in wardrobe and jerked him inside pulling back the door of a small panel inset into its wall." Asami will not like this."

"Maybe not, you idiot," growled the older blond as a erstwhile hidden panel slid open before the pair and Sudoh gave the boy a hard shove into the room it revealed, adorned as it was with its constraints, leather fittings and elaborate equipment." but here is what Asami Ryuchi really likes!" 

Even as he struggled to register what his eyes beheld Akihito's heart clenched painfully in his chest and he felt the world slip away as his legs turned to water, he slid slowly down the wall to land at the feet of the now triumphant Sudoh. 


	14. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

When the order for the meal to be delivered to Sion's penthouse came in to the restaurant Sudoh's heart leaped with happiness at Asami's obvious, if veiled, invitation to visit him, no doubt for some more 'intimate' moments where he could prove what an enthusiastic and perfect partner Asami had found in him.

Reading further though his face fell and his anger rose.

Ice cream?

"Damnation." Asami would place no such order, it was probably for THAT boy.

That boy! Hmm, he couldn't abide Sakazaki but he had his uses Sudoh thought as he dug out his phone.

"I have news of him." 

Sudoh checked his immaculate reflection in the mirrored surface of the lift, the money Sakazaki had offered to access this damn boy had been even worth risking entering Sion itself, enough to keep Sudoh in the luxury he deserved for quite a while in fact.

What had this Akihito got that was such a magnet to these tycoons?

Whatever it was he was going to milk the whole situation for his fair share he thought, hefting the luxurious food he was about to deliver from one hand to the other slightly nervously. It had been liberally laced with the powder Sakazaki had supplied to him that was to debilitate the boy enough for him to subdue him although having seen the fragile little blond he thought he could have easily managed it alone.

"Kirishima san ordered a meal to be served to Asami san's guest." he testily explained as the two steely eyed guards thoroughly searched him and his cargo.

"It is expected," they passed him clean and unlocked the apartment door for him." Takaba san is waiting."

Takaba SAN? How dare they search him but give that scruffy little upstart an honorific!

He smiled, pleased to be in the penthouse again after so many months although he had carefully memorised everything about it from his previous couple of visits when he had provided himself for Asami's, no, Ryuchi's pleasure it was still a thrill to be hear again in the flesh.

There was no sign of the boy as he entered until he heard movement from what he knew was the master bedroom, the bedroom he himself had been denied he thought angrily to himself as the boy emerged, damp and dopey as a new born colt and barely decent, the hussy! He had to admit he was a beautiful little thing though Sudoh thought idly, all long legs and pale skin and so biddable! It was easy to take the lead from the naive idiot and soon the boy was eating the drugged food steadily if without enthusiasm despite all the barbed teasing Sudoh managed to get in. 

It was he, Sudoh, who got more and more furious and dismayed as they talked, Asami seemed to have shown this boy mercy and even kindness when he had shown none to himself in their painful and often demeaning liaisons. Aki had eaten at the table and been allowed to sit in the living room unlike the older blond for whom Asami had had only one intention. He had even made plans in his mind as to the alterations he himself would implement when he finally moved in as, to be honest, Asami had obviously no concept of creature comforts, there was not even a sauna for goodness sake!

The boy seemed loyal, almost fond of the mighty yakuza where surely he should be fearful and cowed having shared his life for so many weeks if Sudoh's own rough treatment had been anything to go by. Could the youngster just be made of sterner stuff than he appeared? 

Sudoh soon learned, as they continued to talk that this was not so, if anything this pretty little thing had been softer and more cosseted than he could have imagined. Soon, where he should have been concentrating on enticing the increasingly woozy youth to come with him out of the safety of the penthouse to where Sakazaki had promised to have transport waiting in the public parking area below, he felt only the sharp teeth of jealousy.

He could not resist rubbing the cloistered youth's face in the true scale of his beloved Asami sexual proclivities and now he paused to enjoy his moment of triumph as he stood over the stunned and fainting boy in the doorway of his masters private dungeon. 

Now to get the brat out using his apparent sickness as an excuse to take him outside Sion where it would be Sakazaki's job to sort out Asami's goons and seal the deal. 

Not that easy he thought as he looked down at the swooning 'maiden' at his feet.

"Come on, idiot," he said dragging on the others thin arm." lets get you out of here before the big bad wolf gobbles you all up!" 

xxx

To say that Akihito was stunned was an understatement, his already unsteady world seemed to have been wrenched sideways by the sight of the frightening array of equipment displayed in the dungeon hidden only a few feet from where he had felt safe and protected in what he had called his lover's strong arms.  

The Asami he thought he had got to know, powerful and silent but someone with whom he had thought he had a visceral connection with had kept the true darkness of his soul as embodied by that nightmarish room hidden from him.

A betrayal of his trust he knew, as the arrogant model yanked him to his feet and suggested what he already felt in the marrow of his bones that he should run from this place and never look back. Aki jerked himself shakily from the others hand and staggered out of the bedroom and towards the door where he paused to try and stop his head from spinning so wildly.

Why did he feel so strange? It must be the shock and his body still coping with the after effects of the elfshot his clouded brain decided.

Think, Aki, think!

Sure as fate there was no one else he could trust to do it for him now.

He knew that he had been taken with the Asami  from that very first sight of him sitting like some dashing, olde worlde king with that strange woman the night they had first met. Aki had never been interested in men before that night (although it was fair to say he had not been that interested in women either) but why had he not been drawn to her instead of him he wondered?

He knew really, Asami had presented him with a package of irresistible qualities that he had been only too quick to enjoy, a powerful Alpha at the top of his game, clever, witty, handsome and rich and Aki had not allowed himself to give two thoughts about the dubious alternative activities Sion fronted.

Akihito looked at the thin whey faced boy in the mirror on the wall beside the front door when he caught a glimpse of himself in it. Asami could probably have had his pick of companion of anyone in the world he now realised, a beautiful,well educated wife of some old money family was probably right now out there somewhere writing out her wedding list, ripe and ready to spawn a little family of beautiful and talented Asami juniors to supply him with a choice of heirs. He should be grateful to this Sudoh for this sharp wake up call before he had been too firmly enmeshed in his whole dark world to escape.

Escape.

Despite his confusion Aki knew that he had to get out of here, away from Sion, his dangerous yakuza king, of a now ex paramour and all Asami's sharply suited kings men that so faithfully followed him. Sudoh was beside him, endlessly wittering suggestions and instructions in his ear and once again his woolly thoughts suggested he just flatten the annoying blond but he had always sworn to himself not to interfere with humans and he would not break that oath now. Instead he pushed himself away from his unwelcome reflection and past the simpering fool dragging the front door open in front of him to step unsteadily and still barefoot out into the hall.

Ignoring his companions cry for caution and shrugging of the hand on his arm that tried to hold him back he made his way as best he could towards the two guards who leaped to their feet to face him. 

He looked at the two confused men as they reached uncertainly beneath their jackets for their guns.

Vampires both.

Good.

A click of his fingers and the pair simply dropped to the floor to either side of him as he stalked shakily between them with as much dignity as he could muster to stand before the elevator doors. He felt the sudden drain in what little energy he still had as the compulsion he had used on them took its toll from his already toiling body as from the corner of his eye he watched Sudoh picking his way gingerly over the two men now slumped and still on the hallway floor.

"What are you?" the blond's face was pale and he looked almost as shocked as Aki felt.

"Nothing to you." Aki's head was too blindingly sore for civility.

"I have a car in the garage below." Sudoh said hesitantly looking at the blond boy leaning heavily against the wall as the elevator tinged its arrival.

"Good enough." he was holding the palms of his hands to his head to try to relieve the pain of the potion that unbeknown to him was increasingly debilitating him.

Aki staggered out as the doors opened, only saved from falling face first on to the concrete of the parking bay by Sudoh's hand under his elbow.

"Not doing so well now are you?" sneered the unpleasant voice as he was steered toward a car close by that even to Aki's faltering thoughts seemed too flashy for a mere restaurant manager. The back door was opened as with faltering steps the boy was guided towards it by the taller blond.

"I have him." Aki did not have any strength left in him to resist Sudoh's pull on his arm.

"Hurry!" someone inside called out.

"I told you I could get him!" The model said pushing the boy forward towards the waiting hands.

"Stop gloating,"  A rough voice ordered from within." and just get him in here."

Aki dug his heels in but too late as he was manhandled into the car, his body seemed to be disconnecting itself from his brain and he was suddenly on his knees in front of a greasy balding man who was leering down at him. Sudoh pushed him on to the car's floor and put what felt like his foot on his back to keep him down and then he felt the unmistakable prick of a needle in his neck before someone slid a thick hood over his head and the already swirling world around him closed down into unrelenting darkness.


	15. The Devil rides out.

Asami opened his eyes slowly at the sound of the chink of metal on metal knowing immediately the familiar magnolia of his hospital and its ceiling fan rather too well after all these years and decidedly too many injuries.

"Ah, Asami san," the doctor leaned down to check his bandages with gentle fingers and he saw Sudoh standing impassively beside the door." I am glad you are awake. How are you feeling?"

"Hm," he glanced round the room for someone who was not there before considering his answer." remarkably well, considering."

"Good," she replied with a small smile." and to be honest you are really doing remarkably well. Considering."

"Good," He nodded." so when can I leave?"

"Ah, Asami san," the doctor looked over at him with a small discreet smile. How handsome he was she mused, how charming, but then she remembered how dangerous he was too and hurriedly sheltered herself in her notes again." you were shot less than twenty four hours ago and I think it is a little early to talk about discharge dates, even for you."

"As you know, Doctor," Asami continued, using his good arm to shuffle further up on to his pile of white pillows." I am a busy man and have a number of pressing matters to address."

"Well, not today." She continued emphatically thumbing on a monitor switch.

"Very pressing matters." he explained quietly thinking of revenge and soft blue eyes.

"Perhaps tomorrow," the woman turned as Suoh opened the door for her to leave." you can ask Dr. Shu."

"An assertive one." The yakuza commented, not without respect.

"I seem to remember that is why you chose her, Ryuchi." Suoh agreed as he closed the door behind her.

"Probably." Asami said leaning back and closing his eyes to collect his thoughts." Where is the boy?"

"Kei has taken him to the penthouse," the big man assured." and by now I would imagine he is well fed and tucked up safe and sound in bed."  

"Good," he closed his eyes for a minute to visualise long limbs spread across his sheets then opened them again." and I would hope that  Kei has done the same. What of the assailants?"

Some news there," Suoh nodded." two were small time locals and the others, including the one you dispatched personally, appear to be Chinese."

"Strange, but as Kirishima suggested yesterday." his brow furrowed in thought." Motives?"

"Unclear," a shake of the head." although it seems probable that the two Japanese were there for their local knowledge."

"So," Asami continued pensively." the target could still have been either Akihito or myself."

"Takaba?" Suoh said, confused." Who could possibly want him?"

"Ha," Suoh was always blunt but not always insightful." well I for one, Kazumi, he has hidden talents."

"I am sure," Suoh continued pointedly ignoring the double entendre." but of little use to such as these." 

"Also Takaba is a Kyuuketsuki, a rarity," Asami continued." maybe even unique in this modern day, and as such would be much sought after if his existence became known in certain circles." 

"Really?" Suoh seemed unconvinced.

"Yes, Kazumi," his boss suppressed a small smile. "really."

"Well that is as may be," the big man raised a sceptical eyebrow." but it is still much more likely that it was a simple hit squad that nearly got lucky."

"Either way," Asami said , a metallic edge flickering across his pale eyes." when we find those responsible I will enjoy extracting the answer from them personally."  

When Suoh's phone rang out it sounded loud in the relative quiet of the hospital room and he reached into his inner suit jacket pocket to retrieve it. He looked at the screen and Asami focused more sharply on him as he noticed his bodyguard's thick brow furrow before he put it to his ear. The big man listened intently for a minute and the sideways glance he levelled at the injured man was not lost on Asami who waved his hand imperiously indicating that he clearly wanted to be passed the handset. 

"You will have to excuse me for a moment," the bodyguard ignored the gesture beginning to rise and move towards the door." I need to answer a question about personnel."

"Give me the phone, Kazumi." and now his tone brooked no disobedience and when the other reluctantly obeyed he asked the caller brusquely." Who is this and what do you want?"

"A..A..Asami san?" stuttered an unfamiliar male voice." I was told to inform Suoh san that here has been an incident involving the staff at your apartment, sir." 

"The penthouse," his blood ran chill. Akihito." what incident?"

"We have two men down, sir." the man informed him hurriedly.

"Was the penthouse compromised?" he asked coldly.

"The apartment was empty, sir." the caller replied cautiously.

"That is not possible." Asami's voice was flat." Was there a search?"

"Yes, sir, although we are still in there at present," the man continued his voice now tight and anxious." and we are reviewing the security footage as we speak to locate the whereabouts of your..er..guest, sir."

Asami thumbed the off button and cast the handset down on the bed throwing back his bedding with his good arm.

"Ryuchi!" Suoh admonished hurrying round the bed to stand in front of the other.

"Call Kirishima," he snapped beginning to pull out the drips from himself systematically." we are going to Sion."

"Now, Ryu," putting his hand on the wide shoulder to block his friend." you must rest!"

"They have lost the boy." Asami hissed as he yanked the last needle from his arm." Get me that gauze and tape before I leak everywhere."

"Ryuchi, just..." but he stopped after a familiar glance from his boss that brooked no argument and fetched the kit helping to staunch the thin trickle of blood that oozed from the other man's wound.

"Where are my clothes?" Asami snapped getting to his feet with a grimace and looking round the room.

"You should not be up at all today!" the big bodyguard objected." Kei was going to bring you a change back with him for you. I will call..."

"No time!" Asami said snatching up a couple of bottles of pills and checking their labels before popping the cap and throwing a few into his mouth, swallowing them dry.

"Asami!" Suoh growled warningly although he already knew that he would be ignored as his boss made towards the door despite the pain he must be feeling from his injury. 

"Cars?" the tall man demanded of his bodyguard. 

"Limo being cleaned," Suoh started, grabbing up his phone and following." I will call..." 

"No time." Asami repeated pulling open the door to confront his two very surprised sentries outside." Which of you has a car here?" 

"I do, Sir!" one barely suppressing a nervous squeak in his voice at having to talk to the Sion number one personally. 

"Keys." The man's jaw dropped but he hastily scrambled in his jacket pocket before holding out a set held on a Superman keyring." Which one is it?"

"The.. the green Toyota under the trees, sir." the young man stuttered with a polite dip of his head.

"Thank you." Asami said and without hesitation took the keys leaving the amazed men behind as he strode towards the exit, the thin paper of his polka dot hospital gown flapping loosely around him. 

"Gods, Ryuchi wait," muttered the exasperated Suoh moving up to the others elbow and ignoring the stares as they made their way through the astonished staff and visitors in the clinics reception." I will call..."

"No time." Asami said ignoring a stab of pain as his gunshot wound objected to the movement and brushing past the security man who held the door open for them with a deep bow as they swept outside and down the steps on to the tarmac.

"Oh, no Asami!" the huge man said staring at the small, lime green rust bucket mouldering in the shade on the far side of the car park." Not a Starlet, I could barely fit in one of those when we were teenagers! Please let me call..." 

"Sorry, Kazumi," his grim face cracking into the tiniest of smiles as the bare skin of his thighs clung slightly to the cheap plastic of the rickety front seat when he pushed it back to try to give himself a bit more leg room to drive. He waited while his giant friend wedged himself into the other side with the utmost difficulty, giving a deep, resigned sigh as he tried and failed to get the paltry seat belt around his considerable bulk before settling unhappily into the too small passenger space." No time."


	16. Home truths.

The rust pocked little car drew up to the security window that led to Sion's underground parking with a smoky splutter and an overwhelming smell of overly heated rubber wafting around the two men inside.

"I have told you before, Todo," a bored voice crackled tinily from the small speaker set into the wall at head height." that you cannot bring that heap of junk in here, you will get oil all over my tidy floor. Go and find somewhere round the corner to park where nobody can see it."

"Open the doors, Tik, or I will shoot this machine and then you." Asami looked at Kirishima grim face and at any other time he might have been amused at the car farce but he was sore and tired now and wanted to find out what was happening with his boy. A worried face appeared at the small office window a little further into the garage and the doors immediately swung open as the small attendant hurried out ahead of them bowing low as the head of security and the CEO of his company entered and drove the green wreck into the parking bay nearest to the executive elevator bumping its bonnet into the wall to augment its inadequate breaks.

"I am so sorry, Asami san, Suoh san," the small man said nodding and bowing anxiously at his bosses." that is young Todo sama's car and I assumed that you were him added to which the orders have come through for a clamp down."

"Good." Suoh was trying to extricate himself from the confines of the Starlet while Asami did so with considerably more dignity, despite his injury, from the other side. The huge man's head hit the pillar of the door one last time and with such a resounding thud that Tik's wizened face flinched for him, although the bodyguard himself gave no external acknowledgement of the blow. The old man was too wise to comment when his big boss remained silent and was then struck dumb altogether as their esteemed and great leader, Asami Ryuchi, began to move away from the vehicle, revealing both the skimpy surgical gown and an extensive amount of his own, well muscled, person as he walked.

Tik had thought he had just about seen it all as he had served Asami and his family before him all his adult life but this time his mouth fell open at the sight of so much of his employer being exposed before him, especially in such a public space, and only closed again after the elevator doors had done so as well.  

"Asami san!" Kirishima stopped dead as he came walking along the private corridor leading to the apartment as the lift opened to let them out." What in gods names are you doing here?"

"Where else would I be under such circumstances?" was all the tall man offered by way of explanation as he pushed past several people in white apparently investigating the area usually reserved for his personal guards. Ignoring the strange looks his forensic staff were casting him as well as the long suffering looks his best friends exchanged between each other at his presence as they followed him in through the door and into the penthouse." Where is Akihito?"

"I am sorry, Asami," Kirishima admitted when they entered the relative calm of the living room." but we have not yet located him, all we know at present is that he is definitely no longer here."

"What of the guards?" Asami asked looking with an unfamiliar twinge of sorrow down to where Akihito's worn red sneakers still rested in what was fast becoming 'their' place beside the door.

"Alive but still unconscious," the secretary pulled up a chair for Asami to sink gratefully with a sigh and opened his laptop." although I was on my way to my office as I understand the security tapes have just been recovered."  

Kirishima clicked onto a small array of camera feeds covering their floor beginning with his own arrival with a dishevelled and weary looking Akihito trudging obediently behind him as he was deposited safely through the door. The boy seemed at a bit of a loss when he was left alone, making Asami smile by raiding the fridge for a snack first before settling down for a snooze in front of the television. Fast forwarding, although Asami knew that he would have greatly enjoyed just watching his boy sleep, to him waking later and wandering around until after a while he headed through to the bathroom.

"Who is this?" Asami demanded as the hall camera showed the guards stand as the elevator door opened showing the handsome man revealed therein. The men watching tensed." That scum!"

"Sudoh, that under manager at Dracena!" Kirishima, efficient as ever despite their tension, filled in the details for them.

Asami's men carefully searched the blond and the bag that he carried before motioning him through into the apartment and Asami fought down the irrational desire to reach through the screen in front of him and crush the mans throat just for entering the same building as his little lover. His stomach flipped as his scantily dressed boy came face to face with the new comer and he was sure he could see that irresistible bloom of a blush sweep upwards onto his cheeks. Adorable, his inner thoughts supplied and to the other, get the hell away from my boy or I will rip your eyes out and then your scrawny throat for the way you are ogling him like that!

"He is being strangely intense about serving that food." Suoh observed when Akihito left the room as Sudoh plated up and then helped himself to a gallus glass of Asami's favourite whiskey. 

"It may be tampered with." Kirishima suggested but Asami himself could not bring himself to speak through his rising fury, watching as his boy returned to eat, somewhat unenthusiastically, his body language giving away his obviously growing discomfort in the others company. Aki eventually rose with his dishes and Asami felt his lip curl in fury as the now clearly angry Sudoh crowded forward to loom over the slighter body before grabbing a thin arm and dragging the now staggering boy away." Takaba is unsteady on his feet, he has been spiked."

Asami let out an audible growl feeling his fangs flex automatically into place at that and at the manhandling and his seconds looked at each other in alarm especially as the two figures on screen began their scuffling, unsteady progress through to the master bedroom.

Things were looking very bad.

And then they got worse.

The three men stilled, watching like silent statues as Sudoh's manicured hand slammed against that panel and Akihito's slight body was jerked forward into what they all knew lay beyond but the camera's lens could not catch. Asami half stood his stomach turning and his hands clenched into white knuckled fists as he watched with horror at what was evolving before his eyes and a blindingly swift, horrific vision of that beautiful body that might still be hanging in THERE, undiscovered by the search teams. His muscles tensed to rise for the reveal but in what could only have been moments, although they seemed to stretch for an eternity, Akihito staggered drunkenly out again pushing past the other blond to stand gasping and slumped against the dressing room door.

Swaying uncertainly as he walked, Akihito paused briefly in the hall before wrenching open the door and stumbling into the corridor where with a small gesture of his thin hand the two guards dropped to the floor like poleaxed steers.

"What  the f...!" Asami and Suoh both rose to their feet at that as they watched in disbelief as Akihito followed by a now shaken looking Sudoh disappeared into the elevator." What just happened there, Kirishima?"

"I don't know," The secretary was intensely punching commands into the computer with impressive speed." I am trying to run an analysis and get a new angle!"

"No!" snapped Asami, focused only on his boy." Track the elevator!"

Ting! the sudden sound from the new audio link on the new camera made them all flinch.

The parking level.

As the door slid open Sudoh was almost having to carry a now barely conscious boy who was slumped against his shoulder hardly managing his slight weight in his own thin arms as the pair staggered out. They heard Sudoh taunt Aki before calling out to a large red American sedan type car with blacked out back windows that pulled up in front of them.

"...get him in here!" the listening men heard a gruff voice order before, a now weakly struggling Akihito was dragged head first into the back of it and they watched helplessly as it cruised up the ramp and off into the bright streetlights beyond.

Asami moved first, slumping back down into the softness of the cushions again without a word as Kirishima scooped up his laptop and pushing his glasses up his nose began to type furiously into it once more. Kirishima did not move at all from the position he had taken behind his boss to finish watching the security tapes with the others except his brows which dropped as he processed the information they had received from the tapes.

"I recognise that car." he said at last.

"Who's is it?" Asami snapped his head towards his head of security his eyes flashing gold.

"It belongs to that flea palace down in Kabukichu," the big man said slowly." Tulsa Night." 

"Sakazaki?!" Kirishima hissed with distaste as Asami sprang to his feet with a flinch flickering across his face as he did so.

"Fetch me my pistol, Suoh!" he commanded bending to retrieve a packet of Dunhills and a Zippo from the cabinet on the wall beside the television as he started towards the apartment door. His bodyguard duly produced Asami's favoured weapon, complete with it's holster, that he had taken it upon himself to keep safe on his own person and the other took it into his hand while still on the move. "Lets go."

The big Yacuza went to put his cigarettes in their usual inner pocket in his jacket before he started to strap on his gun. He looked down at his chest as his hand slid along an unusually smooth surface devoid of any pocket and saw instead of black cashmere the gaily printed polka dots of his hospital issued gown. He looked up at his two stoical second in commands as they prepared to obey him and follow him anywhere without hesitation even skimpily dressed as he was.

"Come with me," he ordered Kirishima turning towards his bedroom instead and calling back as he did." and Suoh I may need some help with my shoes. 

Scarcely ten minutes later now armed and clad in his usual impeccable style, Asami knocked back the selection of pain killers that his secretary held out to him with a slug of twelve year old malt to stoke the fiery anger in his seething heart. They entered the elevator in silence each dwelling on their roles in what they anticipated would be the difficult time ahead of them at Sakazaki's ill reputed dive of a club. Down in reception when the three tall, sharply dressed dark figures emerged from the executive door staff and clients alike scuttled off left and right to get out of their way and to clear the path for their grim faced leaders. Women, and not a few men stared with longing, lust filled eyes as freshly booted and spurred they looked neither right nor left as they swept past all and sundry to step out to where Kirishima had ordered the Bentley to be waiting, driving it off into the night without a backward glance.

xxx

Akihito tried to push his thoughts through the thickness surrounding his head like the dusty spiders webs from one of his own beloved monochrome horror movies. He seemed to hear a low noise from somewhere far away and wondered vaguely whether it could be his own pained moan as he failed to move even a finger against the suffocating lethargy that seemed to be weighing his body down.

"What time will it sail?" a voice reached him through the unexplained rumble that provided a background in his ears. 

Sail?

What?

Boats sail, not him so that was OK wasn't it.

Wasn't it?

"The Hong Kong offer is good. Very good." a separate, deeper male voice said from somewhere close by to him " If I get paid it can be tonight for all I care."

Hong Kong?

Hmm, he would like to go there one day he thought fuzzily.

Aki wondered why there seemed to be strangers talking in his dreams and tried to focus again on moving.

Odd, that groan definitely seemed to be his. 

Where was he?

Something was not right.

And where was Asami?

He suddenly wanted him, no one else would do, only Asami.

He heard himself groan again as his fingers moved an inch or so along a rough surface.

"Here, hold him." the deeper voice ordered too close to his ear as he smelled sour breath and felt strong hands on his arms before a sharp fleeting pain made the cobwebs close in on him like falling leaves and he slipped away into darkness again under their soft embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankyou, fanfic 3112 for imagining Asami looking for pockets in his hospital gownie.


	17. The rats nest.

The attributes of the 'Tulsa Nights' club were the embodiment of everything a Sion club avoided, brassy and located down a seedy street in Kabukicho one of the sleaziest areas of downtown Tokyo and Asami doubted that it did much of a trade if the number of customers entering it was any measure if success.

"Are the preparations complete?" He asked, certain of Akihito's presence drawing him into this dive and disliking the fact that his boy would even be anywhere near this type of scumy place, before taking a deep draw on his cigarette.

"A team on each of the other doors," Kirishima assured checking his texts as his boss let out a long exhale of smoke." and one will wait outside here when we go in."

"Let's do this." 

A few seconds later and shouts echoed out as figures began to run from the club and up the street by the flickering light from the brash lights above its door. One of the running people stumbled and a scream rang out as others tried to push past the brief logjam of bodies, that was their cue. The trio threw open the car doors and shrugged their well tailored jackets into place before, without a glance at the escaping clients, they stalked with an apparent lack of concern into their target's territory.

"To the left." Kirishima instructed, having downloaded the clubs floorplan in advance and then pressing a key on the tablet he was carrying." I have switched off the sprinklers."

Suoh reached into his greatcoat pocket and roll a smoke bomb off to the left and right to release their thin blue smoke into the foyer adding, as was the intention of course, to the panic of the few customers and front of house staff who still lingered inside. Water still dripped from the fixtures through the now empty dance floor as the three tall men, now flanked by more of their heavily armed men, moved in on the clubs private rooms which Kirishima had located ranged in the area behind the main stage. Two men emerged from a doorway to the left talking together until they saw Sion's men and then they turned with a yell and tried, without success to run.

Down they went by a few well aimed bullets while Asami and his two seconds swept on not giving the enemy bodies a second glance, their minds fixed on the greater prize that they hoped lay within. The corridor beyond the door was dimly lit with a few doors leading off which they checked as they went without success but at the end a gunshot rang out and then another. Two more defenders went down as the neared what, by their defence of it must be Tulsa Nights inner sanctum, and then another gun flared at the end of the corridor. The bullets rang out against the wall overhead dislodging a light behind them and dropping one of their own men before Suoh applied a mighty shoulder to a brass embossed door and flattened what was presumably the gunman beyond.

The room had a table with what looked like an interrupted card game still strewn across it and chairs one of which was tipped over as if its occupant had vacated it in a hurry. Asami had gritted his teeth in anticipation at what they might uncover before he indicated a big door on the opposite wall and they moved forward to flank it before Suoh's boot heel granted them a resounding access to the room beyond.

Empty. 

The big crimelord let out an audible growl of anger and disappointment as Kirishima went quickly to the cluttered desk to begin to sift through the papers piled on it.

"Get me a live one." The Alpha snapped out an order, sure he could almost smell his boy's distinctive scent as if it lingered in the room which was obviously an office, assumably Sakazaki's. 

The only 'live one' left in the building seemed to be the rather dented man that Suoh had crushed when they had entered the outer room. 

"Where have they taken the boy?" Asami asked ignoring the mans injuries, glaring into his pained eyes with ice cold yellow ones while squeezing his large hand painfully tight around the others jaw.

"What boy?" the wiry man tried.

"Wrong answer." The big hand slipped down to clamp itself to the thin throat and razor sharp fangs glinted menacingly near it." Where is the blond boy your boss foolishly snatched today?"

"I don't know!" the man gasped his face red and sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"This is not the time for bravery." hissed Asami through clenched teeth now lifting the man clear off his feet. The man tried to look away but was trapped squirming like a fish on a hook as he was forced to look up into the handsome Alpha's face. " Where. Is. The. Boy!"

"Gone!" the mans spidery fingers scrabbled at Asami's strong blunt ones.

"Where!" his fingers flexed against the now bruised meat.

"Hong Kong!" the man gasped out, his face a congested scarlet.

"How is he being transported?" the bigger man continued without flinching at the pain that emanated from his wound at his exertion.

"Road!" the man wheezed still struggling but more weakly now." Road!"

"Van? Lorry?" Asami snapped loosening his grip slightly to allow the man to talk.

"Sakazaki san's car!" the man huffed out in relief.

"Air or ferry?" immediately the grip tightened again.

"I don't know, sir!" the man's face showed real terror, enough so that Asami knew that it meant that he was probably telling the truth.

"Asami san." Kirishima was holding a sheet of paper and his captive was dropped like a stone at Suoh's feet as he turned to his secretary." Ferry times from Osaka and flights from Henada, both to Hong Hong."

"When did they leave?" Asami kicked the prone man hard with his heel in his stomach, anxious now to be on Akihito's still tantalisingly warm trail.

"I don't know!" the man croaked curling in on himself defensively against the blow.

"Fool!" the Alpha spat with disgust then without a flicker of pity on his handsome face kicked him again even harder." When?"

"Two!" the man screamed in agony as several ribs snapped on impact." Two hours!"

"Take him to the warehouse and rip anything else he can tell us from him." Asami ordered Suoh starting for the door, his secretary and his paperwork already at his elbow." Torch these bodies and this whole place and do not leave even a wall standing."

"Yes, Asami san." Suoh said his phone already in his hand as he followed his boss out of the rooms and towards the clubs main doors. It was little surprise how quiet the road was outside, considering that they were Kabukicho and few emergency crews would willing work without riot gear in these crime ridden streets after dark. Accordingly few saw the three sharply dressed figures emerge from the still neon lit Tulsa Nights entrance and those that did knew well, just by the way they walked with such arrogance, that it would be unwise to remember them to anybody that asked, especially if they valued their own lives and so they passed unchallenged back to their car to slip off quietly into the dark streets.

"Ryuchi?" Suoh asked as he took the wheel and the three sat back in the comfortable seats for the journey. Asami closed his eyes, thinking of where a helpless Akihito might be and plotting revenge as the sound of Kirishima clicking away on his tablet sounded loud in the silence as the car headed for the expressway.

Hong Kong?

The Chinese muggers in the park?

What could it mean for Akihito?

Where was he now?

The newly ingested painkillers and his wound vied to cloud his usually incisive thoughts but it was imperative for his boy that he made the right decisions and quickly. Osaka was five hours away at least and there would be a hundred vessels sailing for Hong Kong. The airport was less than an hour from them and far fewer flights would be scheduled but even someone as slight as Akihito would be near on impossible to hide as they passed through customs.

The Port or the Harbour?

Which would he choose to transport such a precious package?

Both had their advantages and disadvantages.

The ferry took two days but a flight was so public.

Unless....

"Henada!" he ordered Suoh with a twist in his gut at the thought of the consequences for his precious Akihito if his hunch proved wrong." Kirishima send enough of our locally sourced men to Osaka to check sailings to Hong Kong, tell them to wait at the port for further orders."

"As you wish, Asami san." Suoh responded catching Kirishima's eye in the rear view mirror with raised eyebrows as Asami sank back into the cushions taking a handful more of the painkillers before he closed his eyes again with a pained twist on his thin lips. The huge bodyguard accelerated the Bentley smoothly forward without hesitation, steering her north towards the nearest exit that led to the airport.

 xxx

Akihito was not exactly unhappy to push his way out of the cloying suppression of the marshmallows he was dreaming off as he slowly fought his way back to consciousness. He had a sweet tooth of course but he was confused and overly hot in their soft, dark embrace and felt that it was definitely too much of a good thing. There was a sharp familiar sting on his arm and the marshmallows slipped and slid slowly away.

Then somebody switched the sun on and suddenly his head hurt so much that it made his brain seem as if it were trying to escape through his eyeballs.

Someone moaned and this time he knew it was him. 

Everything hurt.

He groaned again trying to raise sluggish hands to hold his skull together.

Why were they tied together? 

And his feet too?

What the hell?

Everything was still swimming around him when someone spoke.

"There," a greasy voice said somewhere behind him." still more or less fully functioning as I promised."

"Adequate." A heavily accented voice intoned and he could see a thick set man wearing a traditional Chinese pinyin and with a dour face staring at him.

Aki shook his head and tried to focus his eyes seeing a large garage type space but then bewilderingly a small plane with its steps down and passenger door open was standing beyond the bad tempered looking man. 

"More than adequate," the first man argued and he felt hard fingers on his chin raising his face." look at that face, that body, this one would be worth a fortune in many markets!"  

Aki pulled back to free himself from the hold, trying unsuccessfully to form recognisable words of protest but was absolutely ignored, still held fast in someone behind him's grip. He reached for his compulsion but whatever he had been given was still blocking it and his brain seemed unable to focus on that special point of power within it that would usually drop these creatures hovering around him with barely a thought.

"We are not here to haggle like street vendors." the first man's face soured further with disdain, impassively watching the boy's weak attempts at escape through dark hooded eyes.

"If half what they say about this little beauty is true ," the oily man grumbled." then he is worth much more."

"The price is already agreed, Sakazaki," the man's voice dripped distaste as he drew out a tablet and another small object from his inner sleeve of his white silk jacket." now let us get this wrapped up."

"You have the money ready to transfer?" Greasy demanded, sullenly dropping his hand from Aki's chin.

"It is," the grim man gave a curt nod then reached out his gloved hand." but first we will mark him as arranged."

Mark him? Even Akihito's drug numbed brain knew that that did not sound good and he tried to dig in his bare heels as he was pushed forward by the man still holding him tightly from behind.

"If you must," Aki's captor agreed suddenly grasping the boys left arm firmly in two pudgy fists as he tried to wriggle himself free." hold him tight now, Sudoh!"

No! No! He could feel in his bones that whatever they were planning for him was going to be bad and the adrenaline pulsing into his system struggled to galvanise his muscles into action against the hands that were holding him. Aki's words were coming out as a babble even to his own ears as the grim faced man moved towards him and he tried to see what was in his hand and struggle at the same time but his limbs just would not obey him and his defences stayed stubbornly off line.

Behind him that scum Sudoh, clasped him tightly to his body while the man the other had called Sakazaki held his arm out tucking it firmly under his own while the dangerous looking foreigner held his hand palm down in cold steely fingers.

"P.p.please!" he managed at the last moment as the other brought something small in his gloved hand to rest above his forearm. 

"Don't make such a fuss, pet, and stay still." the hooded eyes looked at him without sympathy as he sagged helplessly in their grasp." You should feel honoured at going to such a good home."

Pet he managed to process the word even through his fear!

Pet wha...! 

And then the man clapped his big gloved hand around his own pale, thin wrist and he screamed!


	18. A Hanger at Henado.

Asami's Bentley and its passengers were well enough known at Henada airport's executive parking zone to be ushered through with a wave of the attendant's hand and a deep deferential bow. A second of their cars with a four man team followed on their bumper and as Kirishima drew the car into their usual parking bay it drew to a halt beside them and after alighting from them the men gathered around their leaders awaiting instructions.

"Sakazaki has that distinctive car, Kirishima," Asami instructed shifting his jacket in to place having checked his gun." and although you say that there is no record of it arriving here take two men to search for it and to check the commercial flights as agreed and then meet us here after."

Asami nodded leading the others further into the executive area and heading for its departure lounges Suoh at his shoulder, checking in the adjoining rooms as they went. Finding nothing of interest in any of them they were about to return to the arranged rendezvous with the others when Asami stopped in mid step his eyes narrowing as a strong need to remain where he was washed over him.

"Wait!" He held up his hand to halt the others stopping so suddenly that the young guard behind them bumped into Suoh, all but rebounding of his immovable mass as he too halted.

"Sorry, Suoh san." the younger man muttered an apology, hastily backing away from the huge bodyguard and as he glanced back at him Asami recognised that it was the owner of the green heap of a car that they had commandeered from the hospital.

"Did you hear something, Asami san?" Suoh queried, cautiously slipping his hand on to the handle of his pistol and looking around at the bland waiting room in which they were standing.

"I thought that I..." the tall man stood as if listening although all remained quiet about them as he pressed the heel of his hand against his aching side." No, I must have been mistaken, let us go back and see if Kirishima has found anything useful."

They had not taken their second step when a distant but distinct cry sounded out from somewhere off behind them and to the left. 

"Over there!" Suoh pointed, one pace behind his boss who had already started to run towards a doorway lit with an Emergency Exit Only light a few yards back from where they stood.

"That's him." Asami stated as they pushed through the doorway and out into a long harshly lit service corridor that lay beyond, the big yakuza headed towards a broad door that was clearly marked as staff only and shouldered his way through it at a run. Beyond that there were two more corridors leading off in a Y and without hesitation Asami took the left fork with the others in hot pursuit as they headed for a doorway covered by thick sheets of plastic rather than a door with the words Do Not Enter clearly printed across its entire width. Without an instant's hesitation Asami dived through them and out into the cavernous area beyond.

Asami stopped stock still, his men crowding through the plastic curtain to flank him as he paused to take in the scene that lay before them. A private jet waited, steps down with a small group of people clustered near a red car that must surely be Sakazaki's. Fury blossomed in him like red fire as he saw the unmistakably body of his little lover writhing in the arms of the snake Sudoh and two other white suited men while others conferred over two laptop screens. The men, excluding the panic struck ex model, instantly drew an array of weapons and the two groups stood face to face across the hanger.

"Release him!" Asami shouted immediately, drawing both of his guns in one fluid movement as he strode forward causing the others to turn towards him as a man. Sudoh did as he instructed, jumping away from Akihito with his hands high in the air as if the boy were a burning coal and almost throwing the slight body onto the concrete of the floor and towards the other two men. Asami did not finish him off for that alone only because he kept his weapons carefully covering Sakazaki and the others." Stand away from the boy!"

"Asami san," the terrified ex model squeaked beginning to scuttle towards the crimelord and his men his hands waving above his head." thank goodness you are here!"

"If you value your worthless carcass," the tall man growled." don't move another inch."

"But I can explain everything," Sudoh's handsome face twisted into a wail as he waved a hand towards the aeroplane." they made me do it!" 

"Silence!" Asami's pistol swung to aim between his eyes and with a high pitched squeak the blond leaped backwards as the other glared over at the tableaux his appearance had created. Moving forward quickly he reached out to the white suited men who now held Akihito slumped bonelessly between them." Give him to me... carefully!"

The two white clad guards glanced at the sour one who after a moments hesitation gave them a small nod of agreement for them to do so. Cautiously one of them took the boys weight from the other and half dragged and half carried him across the few feet between them his eyes fixed unerringly on the gun fixed unerringly back on him. Asami gathered up the slight body in one arm holding him close enough to him that a tightly wound coil of anxiety eased in his chest and he could turn to face the other men again.

"And you are?" he asked the grim faced man, observing the array of heavily armed men targeting his people with a passive stare. 

"My name is Yoh," the other replied with an equally flat voice." and I am merely collecting my master's merchandise." 

"You have damaged MY property," Asami said raising his gun again now that Akihito was once more safely within his arms." therefore your lifeless body is all that will be returning to your master." 

"The deal was done with this man." Grim face pointed at the cowering Sakazaki. 

"No deal was his to make," Asami said his eyes icy and his fangs clearly visible behind his thin lips." but have no doubt that I will be striking my own one with him shortly."

"The creature is ours," the other man insisted coolly indicating the shivering boy and all around the two their men shifted at the sight of the fury that flickered across Asami's face at the words, all keen to engage their rivals." already signed for and if you would check him then you will find that he is already marked with our emblem." 

"What?" The taller man growled not wanting to turn his gaze from the other to look at Akihito who was now resting his forehead weakly against his broad chest as he held him close against him." He bears no such mark!" 

""Look on his wrist, warlord." the man said pointing at the shivering blond with one slightly nicotine stained finger. 

Asami glanced down for a split second and saw that the boy was indeed clasping his left arm tightly to his own body with his other arm as he still struggled to shake of the debilitating effects of the drugs he had been plied with. 

"You snakes, what have you done to him?" The Alpha snarled deep in his throat his eyes glittering gold.

"Merely marked him as my masters." Yoh shrugged his shoulders noncommittally.

"Your master be damned, Chinese," Asami said drawing himself to his full height and looming over the other with Akihito still draped limply on his arm." the boy is mine." 

Yoh stood his ground despite the press of compulsion the yakuza felt push out from himself as he moved closer but he was brooking no resistance now and itched to have his little lover out and away to safety and back in their home.

"Ahh, Ryuchi," a dulcet voice soothed from somewhere to the side of them." you are always sooo possessive."

Asami's head snapped round as if struck by the quiet words.

"Fei Long!" he snarled his fangs instantly exposed towards the newcomer. 

"Who else of our generation would know the value of our little kyuketsuki here?" his sultry voice purred.

"And what of our trade agreement?" Asami rumbled angrily.

"This is hardly in the realm of our usual business affairs." the other swept back his long sheet of dark, shining hair back away from his face as he gracefully began to descend the aircraft's steps." We mentioned nothing in our trading arrangements about... well, shall we call him an artefact?"

"We agreed that Hong Kong is your territory," The tall yakuza had turned his body partly away to shield the precious burden languishing in his arms but his gun was how firmly targeted at the triad leader." and you would deal solely through Sion in Japan."

"We were approached about an item of interest," the perfect brow dipped into a small frown as Fei long chose his words carefully." that had come on the market and have paid the agreed fee. I am only here to collect my purchase and then we will be gone."

"This is Japan," Asami reaffirmed, indicating the young Toyota driving guard to move in and take a now semiconscious Akihito from him as he began to struggle in his grasp so as not to drop him while he prepared to square up to his old adversary." and therefore we are in my territory and this artefact, as you call him, is my possession."

"The 'artefact' has been bought and paid for, Asami," the beautiful creature stepped onto the tarmac and brushed down the silk of his snow white cheongsam with long fingers." and will be an excellent embellishment to my home. I do not plan to leave without him."

"Go now, Fei," the bigger man insisted as he flexed his shoulders feeling the tension between them mounting." and nothing more will be said about this affair."

"You have never failed to recognise a good deal, Ryuchi," The beautiful face showed little of its owners thoughts." I may be prepared to offer a few small incentives to smooth our negotiations."

"Not this time," Asami shook his head slowly without dropping his eye contact." the boy is my personal property."

"He is already marked out as mine for life," Fei long's black eyes flickered with his vampire's metal glint." and I am sure we can..." 

"No!" his anger flared at the thought of another's mark on his little lovers soft flesh so he raised his gun and a needle knife suddenly materialised in the Chinese man's hand as all around them the click of safety catches being flicked open sounded out. Sakizaki and Sudoh both dived for cover as the two ganglords moved in for battle, lunging at each other with murder lust blazing furiously in their black eyes! Fei Longs thin blade snicked past his arm as Asami pulled his hand back to pistol whip the other's head as he flew towards him and....

CRACK!

The air about the gathered combatants crackled with energy and there was a sudden scent of ozone as Akihito pushed his way free of his surprised guard and motioned with his hand towards the two leaders. With a gasp and a thump they were each thrown back from their opponent as if repulsed by a negative magnetic force landing in dazed, inelegant heaps on their expensively clad rumps on the hard surface of the aircraft hangers cold floor.

"I don't care what she has done," Akihito muttered wavering on his feet weakly like a drunkard and pointing one slim white finger at the long haired Chinese gangster as he gripped his other hand into his tousled hair to try to contain his migraine while he looked down at the two felled Alphas blearily." but you should know that you really cannot treat a lady like that, Asami Ryuchi!"


	19. A rude awakening.

"Ooops!" Aki sighed as he squinted around him through aching eyes at the devastation he had wrought.

Wobbling like a new born colt on his long legs and now chilled bare feet he tried not to stand on anyone's anything as he made his was gingerly towards the plane where his pet Alpha sprawled. Akihito saw that the human, Sudoh, was huddled under a table mouth open and drooling in what had probably been a frightened scream but when he ran a nervous finger along the man's skin he felt a pulse and relaxed in relief.

"Serves you right for spiking my... whatever you spiked, human," Akihito told the false blond grumpily." you are going to hurt all over when you wake up but at least you WILL wake up!"

Master and man alike of the rival gangs sprawled where his barely channelled compulsion had flung them, and only the giant, Suoh, was beginning to stir slowly, his bulk affording him a measure of resistance to his control but the other vampires were all still numbed senseless by the slowed rate of their already sluggish circulation. The boy touched the heavily muscled chest gently pressing his palm against it and willing the dark flow of his circulation to slow further until Suoh's breathing deepened and he fell into repose again. Aki checked the prostrate men over, pausing to straighten any uncomfortably twisted limb or strained neck that might pose a danger to them in the longer term only leaving the nasty little fat man that had seen fit to try and sell him to the beautiful foreigner and misery guts the Chinese envoy crumpled in twisted heaps for their cruelty and impudence.

The boy paused then, looking at the two he remembered had hurt him so badly and raised his arm to see if whatever they had done was visible before reeling back in shock, there, chemically branded onto the skin on the back of his arm was a round symbol with several horizontal lines running from it. Aki thought it might be a Chinese character though he could not be sure but whatever it was the anger it made him feel at the effrontery anyone could have to mark him as if he were their possession raged through him, purging the last remnants of the drugs they had sedated him with.

"For gods sake!" he cursed, angrily and stomped his way back to where the two Alpha's still slumped where he kicked one and then the other with his cold toes to rouse them somewhat." Just who the hell do you two think you are?"

"Where is your self control, you meat heads?" Aki fumed as he stamped his foot in front of their immobile bodies, putting his arm out to show the angry welts of the brand on his forearm to the slowly blinking pair." I am my own man, not some trophy to stick on your bloody mantle pieces!"

The two dark, gorgeous faces struggled to follow his movements through the bindings of his compulsion as he crouched down in front of them, bringing himself level with their eyes. He raised his wound to his mouth as though perhaps, to lick it clean or to kiss it better but then they made out the glint of the boys small sharp white teeth in his mouth as he brought his arm closer.

Snip!

A swift snap of the delicate seeming jaws and the crimson blood flowed warm and slick from the boys own flesh and a thin stream trickled too down from the corners of his soft rosy lips before their startled eyes. The bright blue eyes closed for a moment, the soot dark eyelashes lying thickly on the white cheek as the boy heard their weak gasps at the sight before he picked the wet slice of skin carefully from his mouth.

"That is how I feel about the idea of becoming a possession!" he looked at them each in turn waving it at them both and the tall yacuza struggled out a garbled noise from somewhere deep in his throat as he looked up at the pretty, gore streaked face above him.

"Shh," Aki said putting one gory fingertip softly on his big lovers lips to silence the wordless sounds, his blue eyes sad, round and sorrowful as he felt the connection between them tug at his heart again." unfortunately you have proved little better, Asami Ryuichi, and I had hoped for so much, I even had hopes that you could have been mine."

Asami groaned low, his handsome face twisting in frustration at his inability to talk or move. 

"Are you telling me how well you would take care of me, eh, Asami? You mean like all your many, many other conquests?" Aki stilled and a sorrowful look hovered on his lovely, expressive face for a moment before he continued." I can only say that I have seen THAT room where you entertain yourself, you old pervert, and it shall not be with me!" 

"And you, madam," he said toeing the faintly stirring Chinese gangster on their shoulder and slipping the still oozing sliver of meat into the breast pocket of their snowy silk jacket before rising back on to his feet." will simply have to learn that sometimes no means no, there will be no second warning after this!"

The boy lay three fingers of his right hand across the gaping hole that lay leaking on the white skin above his other wrist and gently pressed them down on to it with a pained hiss. He held them there for a long count of ten and then lifted them free as the two rival gangsters watched on helplessly and they both gaped further, indistinguishable words dribbling from their slack lips when Akihito revealed the red rose of a fresh healed scar beneath.

"I will be going now," he said pulling off his filthy shredded shirt and wiping his mouth and arm clean on it before casting it away and ducking beneath the table to pull his own dragon jacket from the unconscious Sudoh, quickly drawing it on to cover his slight body from the nights chill." do not fret, you will be free soon enough  

Aki knew that they must be miles from the city and considered his options.

Walking?

On bare feet in the dark and goodness knew how many miles?

No.

Bus or taxi would be too public and anyway there was the little problem of his having no money to be considered.

He settled on the flashy car that lay before him which would be ideal except that he had no licence and this was not the night to learn, so he would need a driver then. Looking round the obvious choice would be the loudly snoring Suoh but the giant would be hard to control on a compulsion low enough to drive with and on a physical level if he fought loose? Well....not the giant then. 

Aki looked at Sudoh with disgust moving on to stare down at the peaceful, faintly familiar, face of one of Asami's own men. The man was a lot bigger than him but not huge and he looked young so Aki knelt quickly beside him and rested a palm flat against his forehead and raised the others consciousness enough to move although still not free of his control.

"Hello." he said when the man stirred and shakily drew himself up to his feet on Aki's proffered hand. 

"Hello." the young man responded uncertainly.  

"Asami san," Aki said slowly and clearly, carefully lacing his command with a little of the truth." wants you to drive us to the city. 

The other's eyes looked at him in confusion for a moment until he scrubbed his fingers roughly across his eyes before nodding.

"Yes.... Takaba san." he said at last.

Aki drew back at the man using his name so respectfully, of course though, the guard must know him through his association with his boss.

"Er, and you are?" he said to cover his surprise.

"Todo Saburo, sir." 

"Well Todo...san," Akihito said drawing the other towards the sedan by his arm." can you drive this car?"

"Of course!" the man said looking it over with admiring eyes and walking more steadily now towards the drivers door.

Akihito looked round once more at the scattered bodies and then back at where Asami's impressive body rested, still able only to follow their movements with his intense yellow eyes before he hauled open the front passenger door. Once he had settled himself into its bucket style seat he hurriedly wiped away a disobedient tear that escaped from his eye at the thought of parting from Asami forever before turning to his compliant chauffeur again.

"Do you know where, Madame Saluko, Asami san's aunt lives, Todo?" 

"Yes, sir, of course." the man assured starting up the engine.

"Then take us there, please," he said quietly." I have a few things I need to collect."

xxx

Asami fought against Akihito's remarkably strong compulsion with all the power of his sharp mind and robust Alpha body but to no avail as the boys words cut him to the quick. The sadness in his lovely face caused his breath to run even shorter and a physical pain to extend from the tightness of his chest to leave a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

That Sudoh would die for his malevolent acts against the boy was a forgone conclusion and Sakazaki would suffer the tortures of Hell too, it was a pleasure he was already looking forward to but could Aki really have any doubts that Asami would nurture the slight youth with all the considerable means at his disposal? 

Had his care of the young blond to date been in anyway less than tender and thorough?

How could Akihito doubt his devotion? 

Was the boy blind? 

He watched the blue eyes as Aki spoke and could not deny the ever present honesty they expressed and the anger as he showed them Fei's barbaric brand. He would have wrung his erstwhile lovers swan like neck that moment as he vowed vengeance on the elegant triad leader if he had had his body under his own control at that sight and then his breath caught in his throat .

Noooo! he shouted out silently.

The pain, the blood, how could his heart not burst from his breast it pounded so as the boy desecrated the temple of the perfect body that belonged to him alone?

But his words.

His words cut the Alpha to his very vitals.

The boy seemed to have asked so little from him that he had thought him content, had been so compliant and giving of any of his own demands and was that why, somehow, Aki had missed the point that he was like no other that Asami had ever bedded.

The room?

It had granted him years of indulgences, years of pleasure with any number of 'burn phone' like lovers, no not lovers, not like Akihito who was his lover, the others had merely been bodies for him to play with and toss away at his whim when he tired of them. 

Asami knew in that moment like a flash of light across the otherwise cinder fields of his soul that he would trade a lifetime of those pleasures for waking up to Akihito softly breathing against his chest as he lay in his arms in the early morning light just once more.

The healing was shocking in its own way too but worse was the fact that Aki was going to leave without him once more, without him being able to explain how much he was cherished.

NO! NO! NO!

Come back, Akihito, I must tell you something, his mind shouted in his head as he watched his boy raise one of his men and walk to the car with a long backward glance at where he lay helplessly.

STOP!

He thought he must die his heart and mind were fighting so hard to free themselves from this damned lethargy weakening even as the car drew away and out into the night and its wielder grew more distant.

Around him the prostrate men began to move and groan and the big aluminium door that led to the passenger lounges clanged open and was nearly jolted from its hinges by the storm cloud that was Kirishima slamming into the hanger with the rest of their men. Too late, Asami thought when he felt his fingers twitch at his command as his second in command dropped to his knees beside him to support his weight.

"Ryuichi, can you hear me?" Kirishima was calling, shaking his sluggish leader and looking around at the scene as his men, weapons drawn towards the Chinese team, helped their comrades to their feet. Suoh staggered up and over to them as Asami hauled himself shakily to his feet, Kirishima grabbing his giant friends heavily muscled shoulder to stop him barrelling the other two over in his haste.

"Get the car." Asami rasped, his voice as rough as wire wool as his body still reeled with the residue of Akihito's compulsion. Kirishima only hesitated a moment before noting the steely look in the others golden eyes that would brook no resistance and transferring the order to one of their men while continuing to support his rapidly strengthening boss.

A groan sounded at their feet and a dazed Fei Long looked up at them with large glazed seeming eyes. Asami bent to drag him to his feet by his arm and the Baishe leader leaned heavily on him and looked about him at where his recovering men gathered themselves together under the watchful eye of Sion's team before turning his gaze back to Asami. The perfect, cupid bow of a mouth tried to form words but only a painful rattle came out, he coughed and ran a pink tongue over his dry lips before trying again, this time with gravely success as he asked disbelievingly.

"Did that damned brat just call me a woman?" 


	20. The way home.

"I want him, Fei Long," Asami insisted his voice sounding cold and calm in his own ears despite the anger and frustration that coursed through him like snapping hell hounds at any delay in his pursuit of Akihito." it is my right."

"Yoh is my man," Fei Long repeated smoothly as they stood beside the steps of the Chinese gangsters jet." he was following my orders."

"He damaged my property." The yakuza persisted but then some of Akihito's words came back to him and he tried again." He hurt one of my own and deserves to be punished for it."

"Your own, Ryuichi?" was that a hint of a smirk on the beautiful face." Has this pretty little Kyuuketsuki got so far under even your rhino hide of a skin?"

"If," Asami paused after the word to add weight to it." If I allow you to keep your man intact then, in return, you will leave my boy alone." 

"Hmm." Fei Long deliberated, one long finger resting on his lips thoughtfully as he studied his rival." Done! Anyway by what I have just witnessed, the boy would take too much training for what I had in mind for him and you have always liked your toys feisty."

Although itching to be on Akihito's trail again and aware the ache of his wound had been aggravated by his rough handling of it, Asami waited while the Chinese contingent gathered themselves together and without a glance at where Sakizaki and Sudoh begged to him on their knees to intervene to save their worthless lives the elegant warlord mounted the steps to his jet and disappeared inside.

"The Warehouse." Asami was all he ordered Suoh indicating where Akihito's two kidnappers cowered under the watchful eyes of two of his armed guards with a small inclination of his head as the plane lit up and taxied out of the hanger." Where is the car?" 

"On its way, sir." Kirishima assured reaching for his tablet to check its progress and indicating the now duct taped subdued prisoners guards to remove them while he walked between Asami and the glowering Suoh towards where the Bentley's round lights were approaching across the airfield." Where too?"

"Sion, perhaps he will be wise enough to try to get back home." Kirishima and Suoh exchanged doubtful looks as he strode in front towards their transport but they had seen that determined set to Asami's jaw to often in the past to even try to argue with it.

"As you wish, sir." was all his secretary answered.

Suoh joined his friends in the passenger compartment for once having deemed himself unfit to drive until the effects of Akihito's compulsion had fully worn off. Asami and he slumped back as one, Ryuichi quickly delving into the deep inner pocket of his coat to dig out a handful of painkillers to ingest as their car was waived through the airfield gates and started south towards Tokyo.

"What in gods name happened back there, Ryu?" Suoh blurted out eventually as they drove, his voice sounding angry and confused in equal measure. Kirishima paused his texting, both looking at their boss expectantly.

"The legends, it seems, are true," the handsome man said adjusting his tie distractedly." and Akihito, as a Kyuuketsuki and in distress apparently managed to floor us all."

"And Fei Long?" the broad brow was furrowed.

"Such as Takaba were valued courtiers." Kirishima said still struggling to come to terms with the slight boy that his boss had brought into their lives might be a living legend.

"And of course Fei is nothing if not regal," Asami said reaching for the packet of Dunhill's that he kept in his built in drinks cabinet." he would have leapt at the chance of own...keep... find one."

"How.." Kirishima was choosing his words carefully." how does it feel?"

"Like fighting off a giant mattress." Suoh grumbled feeling somehow offended by the fact a slip of a lad had felled him despite his renowned strength/

"It is like falling into an exhausted sleep," Asami agreed thoughtfully taking a long slow drag on his cigarette." however much you fight it it sucks you further down until you are past struggling."

"To take down so many..." Kirishima shook his head with a huff." Impressive."

"Hmm, I want him." Asami said softly looking at them out of the blue smoke cloud about him with his hard golden eyes." For that and many other reasons."

"He is not worldly enough to have gone far." Suoh said still sounding surly, probably from his recent submission.

"Let us hope so, I want Akihito safe at my side as soon as possible,"Asami said slowly stubbing out his cigarette in the ash tray set into the door before fishing out another." this chase has gone on long enough."

Their arrival at Sion brought disappointment of course. No boy and no word of either him or the guard he had coerced into chauffeuring him so Asami had little option but to make his way to his office with Kirishima to change his sullied bandages and wait impatiently for any leads to come in to them as to the missing pair's whereabouts. An hour passed thus and then Asami's phone rang out and his perfectly shaped black eyebrows rose in surprise as he read the number displayed on it's small screen.

"Hello?" he answered cautiously.

xxx

Akihito felt miserable. 

Looking out the window at the slowly growing light of dawn as he was driven along the expressway towards the lights of Tokyo his mind kept playing and replaying his time with Asami over and over again. He had not been totally truthful with himself when he had railed at Asami in that horrible hanger, he had known that it had been the Chinese that had marked him as property even as he had roused from his stupor.

Had he really expected that the fabulous Asami Ryuichi would not have a string of lovers of all kinds, all and any shape and size at his beck and call already?

How naive could he have been, stupid little country hick that he was?

Was that how every one here in Tokyo saw him?

Aki sighed, he had come with such high hopes of living the independent life of a young man about town and here he was, barely solvent and he had been well on the way to being all but kept by his handsome, powerful lover.

And, truth be, having a damned good time doing it.

Asami had never mentioned any of what seemed to be his legion of conquests, so did that mean he had foregone them for Aki's company or was he just good at compartmentalising his lovers? Could he himself just be content to be one of many, he shook his head, no he had more self respect than that.

And that room.

Aki shivered, Sudoh obviously knew it all too well, was even proud of it and the times he had been...contained there but it had all been too much for his unsophisticated mind especially so unexpectedly exposed and with the debilitating potion running through his system. 

It had always been clear to him that Asami was a man of many secrets, and many of those illegal, but this one had been one too far but what chance or indeed right did he have to expect him to change his obviously wildly successful ways? The boy blinked, his suddenly wet eyes. No, this way was best he would hurry back to the peace and quiet of his grandmothers farm and live the life of a parochial peasant he was destined for. Raise hens and tomatoes and maybe, if he could find some girl dumb enough to want him,(unlikely though that would be, he thought.) after a year or five have a baby or two. The car pulled into a familiar street and the silent young driver drew into a parking space a few yards from the semi derelict gate. 

"Wait for me here please, Todo san." Aki requested then sighed again, he would probably never get round to fixing that dodgy hinge now he thought as it squeaked nosily at his entry and he made his way, dejected and tired, up the steps to Madam Salako's wide front door.

He tried to be quiet as he crept along the corridor and up the narrow stairs to his little room with its recently neglected personal treasures that he could not find it in his heart to leave behind. Akihito sat down heavily on the side of his bed and looked round at his private eyrie wearily, wondering what to take and what to give up for his trip (retreat, you coward, he chided himself!) back to the mountains. Slowly he stowed the socks and trousers of his tiny wardrobe into the bag, wrapping the few breakable trinkets he had accumulated in his T shirts and boxers for the train journey and then the long walk up to the place he would once more be calling home. He should really go for a shower too but he really just wanted to be out of the city as fast as possible on the first train east so just pulled on a sweat shirt and fresh jeans. His favourite red converses still lay tidily beside the penthouse door so for the sake of keeping his movements as silent as possible he tucked his old DM's under his arm to put on once he got outside. It did not take him long to finish loading up and with one more long look around the small room he hitched his backpack on to his shoulder and quietly descended the stairs again to tip toe toward the front door.

"Akihito?" said a sleepy voice asked from behind him, making him jump as he span around on his heel.  

"Oh, madame," he said flustered and embarrassed to see his landlady standing in the hall near the kitchen still in her long floral dressing gown." I am so sorry to have disturbed you!" 

"It is very early," the old woman smiled vaguely and started towards him." is everything all right?"

"Um," he hesitated to lie to her when she had been so kind to him." I have to go home for, well, for at least a while."

"I hope your grandmother is all right?" she said her brow furrowing in concern.

"Yes, yes," he said and then took a deep breath." it is really just that I am afraid things have just not worked out quite as well for me in Tokyo as I had hoped."

"Oh, Aki." she said laying a sympathetic hand on his arm." Oh heavens, your poor face, what happened to you?"

"Well, er," he said unable to resist as she stared at the scrapes and grime he knew must decorate his features." I got into some trouble."

"With my nephew?" she said with suddenly cold eyes.

"Well," he hesitated, where could he even start, his cheeks flamed scarlet at even the thought of THAT room?" there was this Chinese Lady too, and, well lets just say that things have just gone from bad to worse foe me this week."

"With Ryuichi too?" she said more quietly than before.

"I am sorry, madame," he said shaking his head sadly unable to think of a suitable answer in his flustered state." it has all become just too much for me."

"Come here, dear," the tall woman's voice softened, she began steering him towards the doorway of the front room." leave your bag there while I have a look at those cuts for you." 

"I must go, madame," he said thinking to pull away gently but the old ladies grip was surprisingly strong and he found himself being pulled along behind her." I am afraid that I have a train to catch."

"Your grandmother would never forgive me letting you head off looking like that," The tall woman said drawing him towards the big window that overlooked the street." come here where I can see you better."

"I have so much to thank you for," Aki said dipping his head in embarrassment for her as she pushed back the pale hair of his fringe to get a better look at the scratches he could feel stinging on his skin." and maybe Asami too but..."

"Would you like to talk about whatever happened, dear?" Madame Saluko softly coaxed." You and Ryuichi seemed so... well matched."

Gods, he thought, if it must have been obvious to her that he and Asami were....and if she knew then his grandmother......just, Gods.

The old woman's hooded eyes seemed to see right through him so he just shrugged, unable to articulate his feelings about all the rush and confusion about the events of the last day or so. He was not even sure himself what he felt about everything, he just wished he could unsee and unhear the whole complicated things that rat Sudoh had faced him with. The siren song that was Asami still powerfully called to him but he did know that he wanted to be an equal with him not have him as a master and perhaps he had failed to see that it was his blinkered view he had had the naivety to think that his mighty lover had felt the same.

"Me too." he eventually said miserably.

The old woman held his face still, looking into his sad blue eyes for a long moment before she let him go and turned for the door again.

"Wait there two more minutes," she instructed him in a firm tone that brooked no arguments." I am just going to get a flannel."

And then she was gone and Aki heard her footsteps heading towards the kitchen. He should just go he thought, pick up his stuff and be gone into the street before she returned to delay him, to make him doubt himself more but he could not make himself do it. His grandmother had brought him up to be more respectful, especially of her oldest friend.

He would never hear the end of it from her anyway, he thought with a small wry smile to himself, so he stayed still as he had been told.

"Come, stand here where the light is better." His landlady commanded when she returned after a few minutes with a cloth and a small pottery basin of warm water. She pulled him into the curve of the bay window where the full beams of the morning sun made him blink and then close his eyes altogether and relaxed as the women mopped his face with the soft material. "Stay very still while I get this..."  

Afterwards Akihito did not know what hit him first as the old woman bent away from him to refresh the flannel in the bowl she had placed carefully on the table but he thought it might have been when the earthenware vessel seemed to explode in slow motion into a thousand pieces before their eyes. Then either he or Madame Salako screamed at the unmistakable whizz and crack of a short volley of gun shots sounded out, spraying the room around them with shards of glass and flying splinters of wood from the shattering windows. Akihito felt a sudden, agonising punch of sensation in his leg as he pushed the old woman behind the silk sofa, wrapping her in his arms to try to protect her frail body from the onslaught with his own.


	21. Safe house.

The silence after the fierce burst of the gunfire was almost as deafening in Aki's ears as the final patter of debris landed on his back and hair where he lay covering the old lady's body. They rested so close together that he could feel the warmth of her sharp breaths against the skin of his neck as he tried to think, wondering first if they should move further into the house or stay still behind their silky shelter.

"I will call my nephew," a firm but rather breathless voice encouraged from beneath him before he could make up his own mind." but first we should move away from the windows, Akihito."

"Of course!" he said trying to push himself up and away from the woman but instead slumping to the side and crying out as pain cut into like a dagger in to his leg.

"You are hurt," the old woman's face was surprisingly calm considering their armed attackers might burst in on them at any minute as she carefully dusted off some slivers of glass from his shoulders." here take my hand, we just need to get to Ryuichi."

Akihito did not answer her immediately but threw out a thread of compulsion as far as he could concentrate but to his relief felt no presences in response. He tried not to look at his leg before they reached a safer place but he could not fail to see the dark staining on his jeans but the agony he felt if he tried to put any weight at all on it he knew could not be good. He used the sofa for support as best he could although his landlady seemed to find what weight he put through her easily borne for it did not slow her down at all. Vamp, he remembered, holding them both as low as he could while they supported each other as they half fell, half staggered out of the room and along the hallway to the relative peace of the kitchen. When they stumbled through it he slammed the door closed behind them with relief as if it would provide some sort of protection from their enemies bullets. 

"Maybe we could call the police instead?" The old woman looked at him sceptically although he already knew that the idea was unwise. How many worms would opening that can uncover?

"I think not." was all the woman said, looking at his pale face thoughtfully and he noticed a thin cut on her forehead and a nick on her arm that were slowly oozing the thick dark blood of a vampire." We need Ryuichi."

"Madame, let me tend you first because he and I..." he asked anxiously watching her as she drew the curtains closed and then went to pick up her mobile from the table he now leaned on heavily." It is complicated..." 

"If they attack we are all but helpless," the old lady said resting a hand on his shoulder and looking him in his eyes as he laid his fingers on her cuts, sealing them as carefully as he could." surely you must see that we must phone my nephew now, we will be safe with him."

"Perhaps," Aki shook his shaggy head, his leg demanding attention even as his head spun with the pain. He tried to scrape for alternatives but he was out of his depth against an armed enemy and although he, if alone, might have made a run for it he would never consider abandoning his elderly companion to do so. Would calling Asami be such a bad idea?"...perhaps you are right."

"Sit down, Akihito, you are as white as snow," the woman said then, guiding him in to a wooden chair which he slumped down on gratefully." let me look at that leg of yours now."

He put his hand down to pull up his jeans but he could not draw them high enough over the wound because of the agony it caused him.

"Sorry, madame." he grimaced as the pain became too much and he let the cloth fall back into place.

"Just slip them off instead." and then gave a small smile at his look of shock that fell on his face." Silly child, you have nothing to hide that I have not seen before a hundred times."

"But, Madame, no...!" he objected his face a mask of dismay and putting a hand up in horror to stop her advance. A sharp smack of noise sounded from beyond the door to the hall and the boy drew himself up on one foot again, picking up their large pepper grinder from the table and hefting it in his hand for defence. Madame Saluko slipped behind him, reaching into a draw and at the same time rapidly dialling on her phone as they heard loud footsteps hurrying towards them before a voice rang out. 

"Saluko sama," A man was shouting, whether friend or foe Akihito did not know, as he tried to balance himself shakily for an attack." Takaba san, are you here?"

The handle moved and he gripped the grinder harder as it slowly opened and before his horrified eyes he saw the long barrel of a gun in a suited arm first followed by a cautious face appear around the door and stare at him with worried dark eyes.

"Takaba san!" the other said and then his eyes widened further as he looked at the woman with her gun unwaveringly at his head and he raised his own gun hand slowly in the air submissively." I am Asami's man, sensei!"

"Todo san!" Aki gasped in relief sinking back on the chair as his landlady dropped the muzzle of her own stumpy pistol and the young guard pushed his way through the door to drop on one knee beside the blood smeared boy. The woman gave him a curt nod and then put her phone to her ear talking rapidly into it in quiet tones while she watched the two young men warily.

"You are injured..." Todo said trying unsuccessfully to inspect his leg through the denim, his honest face full of confusion." I heard the shots but I am.. I could not remember how we got here."

"Don't worry about it," Akihito said his teeth gritted against the agony of his wound and trying to inspect it himself." and I am sure that I can stop this blood if I can get in to the damn thing."

"Then take off your trousers," Todo said offering his hand to support the boy to his feet." they are too tight to roll up."

"Hmm, OK." Aki glanced for a second at the old lady and was relieved to see she was fully engaged in her phone conversation so popped his button and started to wriggle free of his jeans. He nearly passed out as the brush of cloth against his skin made the pain flare through him like wildfire and when he looked down he saw the reason why.

"I am sorry but I think it is broken, Takaba sama said looking at the large, unnatural bump under his pale skin above the wound." the other man drew out a large, wicked looking serrated knife from somewhere about his person and began to slice up the ruined jeans into rough strips." We will have to bind it to stop the bleeding until we can get you to a doctor."

"Give me a moment." the boy groaned taking deep, even breaths to steady his thoughts before resting his hand over the ugly gape in his calf and felt his way inside. He tentatively followed the angry well the bullet had dug its way through his meat, sealing the smaller vessels and reconnecting the big ones and trying to meld the flesh together as he went. Aki's abilities held no sway over the cracked bone he felt there only feeling its deep brooding ache and the viscous leak of the oozing marrow into the familiar slick of his blood as he worked close around its edges. He opened his eyes as he felt the last easily accessible capillary seal and saw both of the others staring at him, the old lady with open eyed curiosity and his guard with open mouthed shock as the blood all but ceased to flow from his wound and his thoughts cleared somewhat again." There, I have done what I can, now, if you got in here, Todo san, do you think we can we get out that way too?"

"Er.. Ah.. maybe.." the other man stammered trying to process what he had just seen his bosses kindly little lover do.

"We must wait here." Madame Salako insisted searching in one of her cupboards and pulling out some painkillers." Surely you must understand that my nephew is the only one that can keep you safe now from those who would harm you, Akihito. If those Chinese knew of you then others do as well." 

"Madame is right, I was with him and then them too." Todo said in confusion automatically pouring him a cup of water from the tap." We were at the airport searching for you." 

"I want to go back home." Aki shook his head regretfully, not looking either of them in the eye as he swallowed down two pills with the drink and then at the gnawing pain that still growled deep in his leg another two for luck.  

"And what happens when others come for you," the old woman added her voice became harder." as they surely will? " 

"No one will find me there." he countered his jaw setting in a stubborn line. 

"Someone will eventually," her eyes seemed hooded now and reminded him so much of Asami when he glanced across at her that he looked away again quickly." and what will happen to your grandmother when they do?" 

"If they do," Akihito glared at her, alarmed and dismayed in equal measure because he knew it as the truth and that it had always been his grandmothers greatest fear if knowledge of his existence had become known to outsiders." then I will keep her safe."

"From the guns they will bring?" she said shaking her head slowly." You know how your parents died, look at your leg, even you cannot withstand bullets." 

"Don't!" Aki dropped his head eyes squeezed shut against the sudden tears that stung his eyes at her words.

"Why would you want to leave when Asami san will be here soon?" as Todo looked from one to the other in confusion placing a comforting hand on his charges thin arm." He only wants your safe return."

"We can see that he will be safest at Sion but Akihito does not seem to understand that yet," The old lady said less coldly, seeing Aki's real distress." maybe he will when he hears it from my nephew's own lips." 

Aki was still forming his response when what sounded like the front door slamming and he stood again and Todo jumped up facing the noise with their weapons at the ready. Again the sound of footsteps but of more than one person this time and they were slow and cautious, unlike Todo's anxious rushing, coming closer until they halted what must be close to the kitchen door.

They all jumped as the door and half its frame burst inwards in an explosion of wooden shards.

It was just as well that Akihito was the only one armed with a wooden pepper grinder rather than a gun or even Suoh's massive bulk would have not been able to allow his missile to bounce harmlessly off his chest and drop to the floor with a sullen clunk. Todo immediately dropped his weapon hand as the huge man stood aside to allow his master access to the room.

"Aunt Miso." the deep aphrodisiac of a voice sounded achingly familiar in Aki's ears as he sank back on to his seat with a relieved sigh as his own personal big bad swept into the room and pinned him with unreadable golden eyes. 

"Thank you, for coming so swiftly, Ryuichi." his aunt said and the boy noted, in passing, that he was impressed that her rich voice was without a hint of a waiver. Suddenly he registered his state of undress and became acutely aware how much he was under dressed in his T and Donald Duck boxers among the other smartly dressed men.

"Asami san," he mumbled an acknowledgement hastily grabbing the cushion from the neighbouring chair to cover his dignity with as the giant bodyguard looked down on him where he sat despondently running a hand over his aching leg." Sorry, Sudoh san."

"You really are very hard on your clothes, Akihito." Asami said drily.

"His leg, Ryuichi." The old woman reminded him with nod in the boys direction and Asami was at his side and on one knee in an instant. 

"Wha..."He hissed his voice tight with anger laced with surprise as he grasped the slim ankle in his large hand.

"Bloody hell Asami," Aki swore trying vainly to push the bigger man away from the injury as lights swum in front of his eyes from the pain." that hurts!"

"Its broken!" the other said angrily." What do you expect?"

"Well, someone did shoot me you know!" the boy said angrily although he stopped struggling against him when he realised how careful the other was being as he studied his wound." That is why Madame insisted on phoning you, it being your area of expertise after all." 

"And you did not think of doing that?" the dark haired man's deep voice rose questioningly as he gently touched the pale limb. "Good you have at least staunched it. Kirishima, call ahead to arrange things for our arrival."

"Arrival?" Aki scowled dubiously." Arrival where?"

"Your leg is actually broken, Akihito," Asami explained slowly as if to a simpleton." so the hospital of course, it will need a cast."

"But.." 

"No but's this time." his eyes were cool and uncompromising as he leaned forward to pick his little lover up.

"Wait, just wait," the boy swotted at him with the flat cushion before quickly returning it to his lap with an embarrassed glance at Madame Sulako." I need trousers."

"Always such a prude, Akihito." Asami jibbed with a smirk.

"It is just that I have a sense of decency," the other grumbled leaning on the table to pull himself shakily to his feet still holding the pillow to himself and his ducks." unlike you."

"Now you are just being stubborn." Asami said putting his strong hand around the blonds thin arm to balance him.

"There are some in my bag in the hall." he said, starting determinedly to hop towards the door before the man swept him up in his arms without permission." Hey..,"

"Stubborn is now foolish." Asami said stalking out." You can change in the car."

"Wait! Wait!" Akihito wriggled while trying to hold both himself and his cushion from falling." The gunmen may still be out there!"

"Dealt with." Asami said without breaking stride.

"My trousers!" Kirishima picked up his bag as they passed it.

"Dealt with." 

"Madame Saluko, what if...?" Suoh was not following them as Todo scurried past them to open the front door.

"Dealt with." 

"The glass all over the..." a white boiler suited man bowed low to them as they descended the steps and Akihito held on tight to the others strong arm in case he stumbled. 

"Dealt with."

"Damn it, Asami, I was going to fix that!!" Aki grumbled angrily slumping deeper into the others sure hold as he saw another man with a screwdriver and an oil can bent over the rickety gate.

"Dealt with." his handsome saviour smirked as he carried his prize to their waiting chariot.


	22. Healing.

Asami felt... well truth be, he felt smug as he sat with a pain medicated Akihito dozing on his knee in the back of the newly valeted limo. He leaned back drawing the lithe warm body back against his chest as he did so relishing its softness and the earthy smell of his boy's less than clean body more than any perfectly presented beauty he had ever been with. Whatever he felt for and with this slender creature it was not easy to describe, even to himself, but he knew he was moved by him on a visceral level rather than an intellectual one. He looked out of the widow at the passing cityscape and wondered at what good fortune had led him to their meeting, he had not felt like this about anybody since...

Who was he trying to fool... since ever.

The warlord carded his manicured fingernails through the wild mop of straw coloured hair resting on his shoulder before shifting the others slight weight away from his own still tender wound. Aki squirmed and mumbled at being disturbed before burrowing further under his jacket and into the warmth of his armpit like the puppy he was and he sighed seeing the smears of dried blood and grime the small tightly curled hand had left on his 100,000 yen shirt.

His boy was indeed hard on clothes.

It was a pity now that Asami had finally found someone that he would really enjoy spending his vast fortune on, rather than the now faceless string of lovelies that had graced his bed over the years, that it seemed that person was too independent and thrifty to accept it. He smiled to himself, now that he had the lad safely in his rightful place at his side then he had all the time in the world to pamper him the way Kirishima had told him the emperors had their own Kyuuketsuki's in days gone by. It would only add to his amusement and pleasure if his little consort resisted it in his customary way and he would just have to get more imaginative with his offerings.

Perfect, he found himself smiling down at his beautiful boy again, he had always enjoyed a challenge. 

The limo drew silently up to the steps and Kirishima opened their door, helping him lift the now grumbling boy clad in the only trousers he owned that he could get over his injured leg. If people stared at them then the garish blue and pink dancing flamingos on the baggy shorts of his burden would not be any stranger than the other diverse elements that made up their little party as the were ushered straight through the reception area by a emergency team and into the private triage room beyond.

"Welcome back, Asami san, I see that you are taking good care of all my hard work on your wound!" the Doctor greeted him sarcastically as she came in clip board in hand and patted the examination table. 

"It is good to see you again too, Doctor." He replied coolly as he put Akihito down on the gurney where she had indicated, the boy was fully awake now and looked at her and then Asami anxiously from under his long lashes.

"What have we here, dear?" she said leaning down for a better look but then her face darkened as she studied his calf then said with some disgust apparent in her voice." Another staunched bullet wound, are these going to be a regular occurrence now, Asami san?"

"I hope this will be the last, Doctor." His handsome face revealed nothing Aki thought while despite his pain his own burned red with embarrassment at the implied censure.

"Well anyway, let us get you sorted out at least, my poor lad." the woman said briskly taking his temperature but her dark eyes rested kindly on his when he looked up into them.

Aki managed to lay still as she examined him from head to foot, tutting at the varied scrapes and bruises the last few days had decorated his body with. Asami was watching him with those intense flat eyes of his, eating him up through them as only he could and he felt his blood stir under them in its familiar way. He could not deny the strange feeling of contentment, completion even that he felt in his imposing lovers presence, a completion he felt with no other person he had ever been with, not even his family. But that... man, Sudoh, and his vicious joy at revealing his side of Asami, THAT room and even more painfully the suggested legion of bed mates that he was just one of. 

One of many.

"Nothing that cannot be mended there, although it will need to be set carefully," The Doctor said standing back from him and removing her latex gloves before accepting a full syringe from a nurse." so don't you worry we will soon get you all clean and fixed up, sweetheart."

"Thank you." the boy said quietly all the while looking at the needle with suspicious eyes. He felt Asami's warm hand on his bare shoulder surprisingly comforting as the woman leaned in and he felt the sting of the anaesthetic. 

"I am with you." the big man whispered for his ears only as he felt the wisps of unconsciousness crept in about him and his eyes began to feel heavy. He heard himself sigh wearily as to his own surprise he crept his chilling fingers out towards the comfort of his lover's calloused warm ones. As he slipped in to his induced sleep he felt his whole hand enveloped in it and the golden eyes above him fixed with his own with such a fierce intensity that he could not drag his away until unwillingly, the darkness claimed him.

Kirishima and his ever present tablet accompanied the now sleeping boy down to the theatre while the Doctor checked and then replaced the dressings on Asami's own wound. 

"Unsurprisingly, it seems you have an excellent constitution." was the woman's grudging assessment before Suoh joined him and they were taken to wait in the same room he had so recently vacated which had been made ready for Akihito to take his place. Asami nodded an acknowledgement at the young guard, Todo, who was one of the two on duty either side of the door as they entered closing it behind themselves and sitting himself in the visitors chair with a relieved huff, one hand to his now aggravated wound.

"How are the building works progressing, Kazumi?" he asked a while later after allowing his eyes to close wearily now things had settled down and his boy was back in his safe keeping.

"Well," Suoh answered." they should all be completed by mid day tomorrow."

"Excellent," Asami nodded his approval." and my aunt is satisfied?"

"She is, she said that she was particularly pleased that the replacement windows were triple glazed as she requested." his secretary affirmed." She said that it would cut down on the noise as well as the draughts."

"Good, good, and preparations at the warehouse?"  

"Everything is in place, Ryu." the big bodyguard assured with a content smile.

Kirishima was still studying his screen as he pushed the door open followed by the light rumble of wheels soundind from the corridor as Akihito was returned to him. His anaesthetist was with him and once the small body was shifted onto his proper bed the man released the drug into his drip to bring him back to wakefulness. He waited at his side until Asami replaced him there when his lush eyelashes began to flutter as Aki began to return to consciousness again.

"The operation to realign his tibia was successful," the small man explained rather nervously as the three large Yakuza loomed large around he and his young patient." and the cast itself has been adapted to allow his actual wound to heal although it will require close monitoring, of course."

"Be assured," the warlord said quietly, staring unflinchingly at the boys beautiful face." he will be receiving the best of care."

"I am sure he will." the man said leaving rather hastily, unnerved at the presence of the three large Alpha's making the room somehow feeling cramped.

"A..Asami?" Aki asked barely above a whisper. 

"Shh," The big man said  pushing back the soft hair from the smooth skin of his pale forehead." don't try and talk, just rest."

"You stayed with me." the boy said softly and Asami watched in rapt fascination as the tip of his pink tongue swept slowly across his soft, dry lips. 

"Shh." the vampire said as he held up the glass of orangeade he had prepared for him earlier to them.

"Mmm," Akihito said trying weakly to move his head towards it and seeming not to notice Asami slipping a compulsion to sleep in too now." 'm really thirsty." 

"Shh." he supported the boy's narrow shoulders tenderly, carefully holding the glass to his lips.

"'S good." as he managed to take a long sip.

"Shh." the big man encouraged the small blond to take a deeper draft after a minute, carefully layering the compulsion. 

"Sssleepy." the boy slurred having drunk a little more, the vibrant blue of those stunning eyes becoming more hazy again.  

"Shh." Asami watched as the weight of the others eyelids became too heavy to resist and within a few moments the boys breathing became deep and even as his attentive lover leaned over to kiss each of the closed eyes." You are certain that the dose of that sleeping draft poses no threat to him, Kei?"

"Of course, Ryuchi, and as you said it had to be done, there should be no more of his straying." his secretary assured him, settling in the visitor's chair and drawing his computer on to his lap in readiness for work." I will be here by his side until you return."

"Indeed,." the tall yakuza watched the peaceful face, made so vulnerable in repose, as he straightened to his full height. " Then let us go."

"Have fun." Kirishima told his best friends as he cracked his knuckles and happily settled down to his catch up on his e mails. 

"We will," Suoh said with a smirk as he followed Asami through the door." I have been looking forward to this all day."

Suoh did get to thoroughly enjoy the two hours of fun he spent 'entertaining' their unwilling guests in the warehouse by the dockside and when he had finished he enjoyed packaging them up almost as much. The giant did not try and hide the thin smile that sat on his thick lips as they moved on to one of his favourite high points of the night either. The splash that Sudoh and Sakizaki made as they were slipped into the water was drowned out by the Hong Kong ferry's engines as the group of yakuza watched the two life jacketed figures slowly bob off into the darkness being towed behind the lumbering vessel. 

"How long do you think they will last?" one of his men asked his neighbour curiously as they watched the boat head out towards the open sea and their two leaders had swished off into the air conditioned limousine again, seemingly satisfied at a job well done.

"A day, maybe two. The people over there have found arms and once even a shoulder and part of a skull," his friend replied with a shrug." but generally after the three days at sea what the sharks and fishes do not get then the gulls pretty well finish off everything except the duct tape." 


	23. Settling in.

"Of course, I would have preferred for him to have woken naturally." The Doctor had commented unhappily to Kirishima when she realised that the boy had been sedated without prescription.

"External circumstances have had to be taken into consideration with this patient." Sion's secretary explained casually. 

"And this transferal is most unorthodox too," Dr was saying her brow furrowed in concern." I had assumed that he would be staying here under our supervision for a few days, at least until he has been properly assessed."

"I am sure he will be in good hands under your direct care, Doctor," Kirishima said calmly, having brought a copy of said document for referral if required." as you know your rather generous contract covers for various unusual circumstances where your undoubted skills might be required."

"Where will I be based?" she asked realising the inevitability of her position." What about any tests or treatment the boy might require?" 

"In that event a complete range of appropriate equipment will be available on site," Kirishima assured her." and a suite has already been prepared for you at Sion, Doctor."

"Then in that case, I suppose, the boy and I will be ready in an hour." she agreed with a resigned shrug.

"A driver and car will be waiting for you." the man supplied." There are alternative arrangements in place for Takaba san already."

Asami had ordered that their car was to be drawn up to the back doors of the clinic the next morning and Kirishima was waiting for them as Akihito's gurney was wheeled through the exit. The area was normally exclusively for the use of the ambulances and although, of course, nobody would query any order that came from directly their benefactor however untoward it might be he was aware of the curious glances the boy and he were receiving from the orderlies. Normally oblivious of the attention his enviable aura attracted he found himself less comfortable when that attention encompassed the still unconscious boy at his side and he found himself resting a hand defensively on the boys thin wrist where it lay across his chest.

Kirishima had a soft duvet in his arms and the car open and ready for them as they came outside and without comment Asami carefully enveloped Akihito in it leaving only his face showing before carrying him quickly into the passenger compartment.

"Lets get going, Kei." Asami ordered settling he and his boy into the plush seats, glad to be another step closer to having him back home at the penthouse where he should never have left. The revenge he had enjoyed enacting on Sudoh and Sakizaki, however painful, would never in his mind be in any way equal payment to what they had earned by manipulating Aki into jeopardy. Asami was prepared to admit that Fei Long was a worthy partner in crime but even the thought of Akihito in his possession made his stomach turn and his anger warm like a newly fed flame. 

Akihito was his and he had broadcast the savage warehouse session with his two, would be traffickers through every avenue of his not insignificant means to show to any with ideas above their station to keep their hands to themselves.

The message he had broadcast was both loud and clear.

To threaten Akihito was to threaten himself and retribution would be swift and violent with no mercy shown and no survivors left to tell the tales.

Asami hefted the light body in his arms to allow it to rest more comfortably, the blond head lolling loosely against his shoulder as the bigger man held him firmly from the swaying and small jolts of their journey across town to Sion. The Alpha's mind was humming pleasantly with ideas and plans for their future, Aki was sure to have come to his senses now that he had been rescued not just once but twice from jeopardy by he and his men.

How much more proof of his affection and indeed devotion could he possibly show towards his little Kyuuketsuki? 

Akihito was sure to see how important his well being was to Asami and cease to resist his advice and settle in to the penthouse to enjoy all the safety and luxury that he and Sion could and would provide. 

The old man bowed low to them as they drew in to the car park and then Asami ignored the twinge of his own injury to lift the boy, not willing to let even his trusted second carry his prize into their executive lift. The Alpha gave a brief nod of acknowledgement to his guards when the three of them reached the penthouse level before Kirishima closed the door securely on the outside world. The quiet of the empty apartment enveloped them into its welcome peace as Asami carried the Aki into his bedroom, gently laying his burden down on the silk bed spread still snoring softly and snugly cocooned in his cotton duvet.

"Things have gone well with the builders?" Asami asked thinking (with what was that a pang of.... affection? More? Could his wizened heart even still feel anything stronger he wondered?) how lovely and vulnerable the boy looked lying there.  

"They have completed the work as promised," his secretary assured." everything is now in order."

"Good," the tall man led the way back into the living area leaving the door slightly ajar lest the boy stir." and as you know I plan to work from home for the next while, until Takaba has settled in."

"Those arrangements are already in place." Kirishima said noting it down on his tablet.

Asami settled himself down on to a comfy enough chair beside the boys bed to wait for his wakening. He had not even finished catching up with the international business news when, what with sleepless nights and his own recovery, he must have dozed off. Waking with a jolt, he heard a thump, a yell then a colourful string of oaths. 

"Akihito?" he called out in surprise, rising quickly and hurrying towards the muttering still emanating from the other side of his huge bed. 

"Bloody hell, bloody cast." the boy was sprawled in a heap holding his injured leg in both hands." That really bloody hurt!" 

"Hardly surprising," the tall man said bending down to help him while trying to suppress a rare smile that insisted on forming on his lips and feeling relieved to see that the others spirit seemed undaunted by his wound. Gods he had missed that fire." considering that you have just broken your leg." 

"I would never have noticed that, you smug bastard," the boy grumbled sarcastically as Asami gave up pulling on an arm to just lift the slight body back up on the bed again." and I hope you are remembering that somebody kindly broke it for me!"

"You should have stayed here." Asami replied sternly, helping his patient to settle back onto the stack of pillows but stopping to observe the others face with concern, how pale he looked, how drawn and tired, he would be insisting the other got his rest from now on in 

"You would have been safe here if you had just listened to me, for once," Akihito was mimicking the older mans deep voice making a long face but not able to look him in the eye." but, oh no, not you, you had to be a stubborn idiot." 

"You are stubborn." Asami said his voice calm and flat despite himself thinking how attractive the sharp line of his raised chin made the other look.

"Pot, Kettle." the boy mocked, his clear blue eyes meeting the other man's, challenging him to deny it.

"One of us has to be the adult." his face still and as mask like as ever, it never paid to give anything away after all.

"Us is it now?" and there was a hint of almost shyness and maybe some sort of longing visible for a moment in those expressive eyes." Is it not always just about you?"

"You are here in my home are you not?" to him an obvious illustration to his accommodation of the boys needs but as a reinforcement if any should be needed he added." Our home."

"Um," Aki looked around, seeming nervous of a sudden, and Asami felt his small companion giving off a ripple of compulsion." About that..."

" Stop that!" he said raising his hand, not wanting to distress by engaging in an argument with the still sickly boy." At least you will be here for the duration of your recuperation." 

"But..." the boy began, eyes flickering towards the door.

"It is your doctor's orders." Asam insisted calmly. Why did the boy always have to make things so difficult?

"Mmm," Aki agreed with a defeated sigh as the aura around him returned to normal and he gingerly eased his injured leg into a more comfortable position." perhaps until I get this off. Maybe."

"Good," Asami felt the tension ease from his own muscles as he gently rearranged the plaster cast with the boy resisting the sudden strong desire to run his hand further up the silky skin of the long leg it partly encased." now lie back and rest, the Doctor will want to check on you now that you have come around."

"Then thanks for all this, I guess," Akihito began softly and he waved his finger around to include the man and the room, while the other tucked another pillow beneath his head." but why ....?"

"You are a rarity, Akihito." he repeated pleased with himself at their clarification of their positions within their relationship and his burgeoning attachment (love was for children and movies was it not?) for the boy." You will be kept safe here."

"I suppose." he watched as Aki's shoulders slumped slightly with dejection.

"It could have been worse," Asami said pouring him a glass of water from the carafe on the bedside table." gunmen might have followed you back to your grandmothers."  

"Oh gods grief, poor Madame!" Aki undid his pillow mountain as he sat bolt upright in bed again his face scrunched up delightfully in concern." Is she all right? You have left her a stack of guards to protect her, right?"

"Don't fret so and lie still," the bigger man said pushing his charge back firmly." my aunt is perfectly safe I can assure you."

"Good, OK, good." the boy rested back again reluctantly, watching him from below those lush lashes.

Asami could not help but admire the sweep of the lines of the slight body as it moved restlessly beneath the sheets.

Do not touch, he schooled himself sharply. 

Yet.

"Do you need the bathroom?" he asked curiously as the boy continued to shift about uncomfortably. 

"No!" still wriggling. 

"Then are you needing more painkillers?"

"What?" those blue eyes seemed uncharacteristically shifty when they looked at him." Why?"

"Then what is the matter with you?" Asami raised a suspicious eyebrow." If you keep up that squirming you will fall out of bed again."

"Nothing." 

"Akihito!" he admonished as if speaking to a child as the boy dropped his gaze to his delicate fingers were plucking at the seam of his coverlet. 

"That room." he muttered, reluctant to show weakness

"Room?"  

"Your... room, thing, place." and here he hesitated indicating the direction with his chin without looking directly at either him or it." It being so near makes me...well, uncomfortable. I don't want to stay in here, I want to move in to the guest bedroom." 

"Ah." Asami said slowly then before Akihito could protest he bundled the slight body up in his arms. 

"No, Asami!" he objected his mouth open in shock as the other strode towards his wardrobe and not the spare room and Aki began to summon a compulsion in rising fear of what he had seen lay beyond the door. He felt the big Alpha's resistance to it cut in as the man reached forward and opened the intervening door and let it swing open Akihito digging his thin fingers into the frame to slow them.

The door swung open inwards and as he registered the soft smell of newly cut wood and fresh paint Aki's expression remained open mouthed and round eyed. Before him stretched the familiar walk in wardrobe complete with its usual array of custom made clothes but now to the right of them was a long set of rails and draws with what could only be his own few paltry collection of clothes sparsely dotting its extensive storage area.

The Room had gone, replaced by a totally non threatening and overly expansive closet, obviously now allocated for his personal use. 


	24. Moving along.

Akihito was positively bouncing with excitement as he led his grandmother into the crowded park, the old woman seemed to be as keen as his boy was to show her the marvel of the Koi that still held such a fascination for him. The early spring had touched Tokyo after the long grey months of winter and the old woman had been persuaded to make a rare trip down from her mountain eyrie to visit her injured grandson and to see its famed cherry blossoms along with, what seemed to Asami, to be everybody else in the city.

"Things seem to be going very well with you." His aunts long elegant hand rested on his warm as they walked more sedately behind the other pair. 

"Indeed," Asami inclined his head modestly towards her watching his still limping boy with hawk like eyes unused to having him out of the comfort zone of his apartment." Sion thrives, thank you, Aunt." 

"And our pretty little Kyuuketsuki?" the old woman said her eyes following where their two small companions hurried ahead of them along the path towards the pond, Akihito almost as spry on his crutches as on his feet. 

"He has settled into the penthouse well enough," the big man said lengthening his steps protectively to keep the others in sight as they rounded a corner although he had his men stationed at regular intervals for security." in his way."

"In his way?" she said with a small smile at her immaculately turned out nephew knowing that this was the first time that he had shared a home with anyone since his student flat days with Kei and Kazumi." I found him always a most charming companion."

"And so he is," Asami said without inflection to his words." in his own annoying way. He has Kirishima run ragged and somehow he has Suoh wrapped round his little finger!" 

"You are much taken with him too." the woman gave a somewhat unladylike snort." You cannot deny it to me, Ryu, I know you too well!" 

"He has his charms." the man conceded with a tight smile. 

"Some more obvious than others, I am sure," the two others were in sight again and Asami relaxed somewhat and shortened his pace again to match his aunts. They arrived at the corner of the path that looked down on to the ponds and raised a hand to the wildly waving boy as he rested his crutch before leaning precariously against the parapet." but he has made himself at home in the apartment."

"Indeed." he said." and I did as you suggested and removed the contents of the room that had disturbed him so much."." Asami refrained to add that the contents had been relocated to a secluded little hill house of his set up in the foothills, that he had occasionally used for entertaining clients and the like over the years. He was fabulously rich of course but rarely wasteful and he had had many of those items custom made after all.

"Wise." she said holding his arm more tightly down the hill to elegantly sit on one of the sunniest benches." You might have invested in a new wardrobe for the little thing too, it is hardly the weather for a T shirt and shorts." 

"You must know that Akihito can be very touchy about these things," Asami replied his own mouth a firm line at the memory of those arguments." although I do think that those shorts might be new." 

"Hmm, perhaps." she said with a small smile." And his leg? It is healing well?"

"He has the very best treatment Tokyo can offer." Asami shifted, seeming slightly uncomfortable." I assure you that it will not be necessary to endanger him again, Aunt." 

"But our plan did pay off did it not though?" Madame Saluko watched the pale boy who was smiling cheerfully and beckoning for them to join him." Kirishima has always been a most reliable sniper and the paranoia the incident inspired in our beloved young Kyuu's heart has kept him safe in your nest has it not?"

"It has," Asami admitted reluctantly. "our little ambush was successful."

"It is simply win, win, then, you wanted the boy and now you have him and I have got rid of those draughty old windows." she looked at her nephews mask like face with her own cool dark eyes." The end more than justify's the means."

"It is true." the Alpha nodded." but I do wonder though that if there had been another way that keep him unharmed then perhaps I could have..."

"You of all people know that needs must in these things, Ryuichi, and his wound will heal soon enough." she said in a tone that would brook no argument." He has the resilience of youth."

"Indeed." he conceded quietly to the formidable old woman as his beloved boy's exited voice summoned them again." Shall we join them?"

"Isn't that the guard who collected Takaba's belongings from my house last week, he was driving such a ridiculous monster of a red sedan?" She observed as they walked, watching as Todo supplied Koi pellets in a constant stream to save Aki's injured leg the short journey to the vending machine." I recognise him from the.. incident and they seemed quite compatible even then, have you permanently allocated him to the boy now?"

"Akihito asked for him," Asami acknowledged his eyes enjoying the sight of the slight youth in such high spirits even after the traumas of the previous weeks." and he also passed Kazumi's muster, so yes."

"For such a young man he acted with bravery against unknown odds that day." she said with a nod." I hope he was rewarded for his loyalty."

"The 'ridiculous' sedan," he said with a shrug." it had just become available." 

The Koi were performing well if Aki and his grandmothers delighted faces were anything to go by and the two were assuring the park funds were boosted by the amount of fish food they were purchasing too. The two tall, cool eyed Asami's joined the two small ebullient Takaba's and tried, with only a modicum of success, to share their unsophisticated pleasure at the colourful creatures antics.

"The water is making me feel chilled." Madame Saluko said at last after she had feigned interest for a good hour to humour her companions. Asami could barely tear his eyes from Akihito and equally the boy and his grandmother seemed so engrossed in the carp that she feared they would stay all afternoon if she herself did not enforce a move towards a more comfortable venue for lunch.

"Of course, Aunt." Asami agreed immediately reaching for his phone from his pocket and summoning their car. 

Lunch was quiet and most pleasant for all four of them, they dined at the Dracenea of course but with simpler fare than the lobster of their previous visit and after the two elderly women were pleased to be dropped off afterwards at Madame Saluko's refurbished and now gleaming new front door claiming they were both ready for a peaceful nap. The walk on his crutches had tired Akihito out too as he had rarely ventured out of Sion since the ambush and he had kept a watchful and tiring eye about them in the park despite Asami's assurances for their safety. He should have had more trust in his big lover, he thought, as he curled up into the warm security of the others lap on their journey home, after all Asami was the acknowledged master of all such covert things. When the big car drew to a halt at the executive entrance he agreed, without his usual argument, to the man simply carrying his weary body upstairs and past the respectful guards.

"Asami?" he said softly as he pushed their front door closed with his good foot.

"Mmm?" the large Vamp said already running a line of light kisses down the boys throat now they were in private. 

"Asami, listen." the smaller man insisted gently pushing back the others head." I have bought you something."

" Bought? Bought what?" the man said slowly looking at the boys flustered face.

"Mmm," the pale cheeks bloomed as scarlet as roses." to make things a bit more fun for you, us, when we.. well.. you know!"

"Are you making a pass at me, Takaba Akihito?" Asami asked, cocking an eyebrow at the delectably blushing blond. 

"I realise that my experience in these things," the boy said and the man could not help admiring the rosy stain spread from his face to his neck and then disappear down below the low neckline of his T shirt." could at its wildest be considered to be vanilla compared to the exploits of the legendary Asami Ryuchi."

"Have I ever complained?" Asami purred putting a hand on the others slim thigh and edging closer." You suit me well enough."

"No but..." the other stared fixedly as the sharp white teeth chewed at the soft pink of his bottom lip as he sought carefully for words." I know what...how much you gave up when you took out your... well... er, that stuff in, er that room."

"It was plain that it ill suited you." The bigger man sat back again a little, curious now as to where this conversation was going.

"Yes, yes it did." Aki nodded vigorously at the sentiment." It was.. well, all such a shock!"

"As you made clear when you," abandoned me, he thought, with a small twist in his chest but said in a calm voice instead." left in such haste."

"Well that waiter, er.. whats his name, that you had transferred to Hong Kong," the pale brow was creased." he scare...surprised me and then gave me that stuff and then my brains were mushed."

"And?" Asami encouraged as the blushing boy hesitated.

"Well, I.." he paused looking up at the handsome face of his lover nervously.

"Yes?" the bigger man pressed after a minute's more silence." Spit it out, brat." 

"Well, I..." Aki stood up suddenly his jaw set in what, for him, was a determined line as he went to the other settee and pulled back one of its plush cushions before digging down the side of it with his long pale fingers." I bought you a wee present!"

"A present?" Asami said one brow raised in query.

"Yes," the boy said holding out a small package gaily wrapped with bright, umbrella patterned paper." it's to say thank you for... well, for trying, I suppose."

"A present?" the big man repeated in surprise, looking down at the parcel his boy was holding out to him in.

"Open it then," the small blond waved it in front of his face to encourage him." it won't bite you!"

Asami looked at him and then the cheerful looking parcel and then back again as the boy pushed it towards him again and he took it and after a short hesitation he slowly pulled the garish paper open, unused to receiving such gifts. He peered inside and felt a deep rush of mixed emotion as his thick blood began to stir faster in his veins.

"Really, Akihito?"  his voice came out as a gruff rumble as he held out the set of fluffy pink handcuffs between his thumb and forefinger.

"Yes, well," Aki said flustered and crimson with embarrassment at his hesitation." I know its not much and you could afford better but we are not all made of money and for me they were quite expensive!"

"No," Asami frowned that was not what he meant at all his mind was just racing with the implications of the gift. " I .. thank you Akihito."

"Oh,.."the boy sounded relieved." you do like them then?" 

"Like?" did the boy really not understand that all he wanted to do was throw him to the ground and consume him immediately? He hesitated, struggling as ever to express his feelings." Yes, they are..."

"Just what you wanted?" Aki jumped in for a kiss enthusiastically, a big pleased beam spreading across that adorable plump mouth.

"Well.." the man agreed, just that, as he wrapped a strong arm around the others narrow waist, his pulse picking up at the thoughts that began to form in his head, immediately thinking of working towards a long, long summer holiday in his newly enhanced mountain retreat for just the two of them. He would organise the details with Kirishima first thing in the morning.

"We can use them tonight if you want." Then the taut stomach gave a loud timely rumble of hunger under his broad hand.

"After dinner of course." Asami added as the tension of the moment passed away and he reached for his phone to order in their food.

"But tonight, yeah?" the soft voice sounded so hopeful that the big Alpha could not help but smile.

"I hate to dampen your enthusiasm, Romeo," Asami said, his heart still racing as the sly smirk crept on to his thin lips." but these cuffs are too big and they won't fit, your scrawny hands will just slip straight out of them." 

"But of course they would, you big lunk, " Akihito said shyly but there was a hint of humour in those soft blue eyes." they are not for me, they are for you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one wee 'omake' to go and then we will leave these two to settle in to their new life at least for a while.


	25. Asami knows how to keep Akihito happy.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god! Yes, Asami right there!" Akihito squealed his back arched and his head thrown back with the pleasure his big lovers slow measured movement's were giving him.

"Right there?" Asami's sadistic grin sat comfortably on his handsome features as he watched the taut tendons in the curve of his boys slender throat." Is that the spot, kitten?"

"Saints and sinners! Yes, just there!" the slight body squirmed in ecstasy as the broad hand held him snugly in place while the other got to work with the chopstick it wielded. "Harder! Please, please just do it harder!"

"I would not wish to damage you." his voice was deep and calm so unlike Aki's intense moans.

"Mother of the universe!" the boy cried out in delight, roughly pushing his supple body back into Asami as hard as he could." More, you've hit it spot on!"

"Are you nearly there, brat?" the Alpha said with an evil smirk his powerful arm holding his small lover firmly in place on his lap." My wrist is getting stiff!"

"Yes, yes that's it." he groaned slumping back against the broad chest in pleasure.

"Hmmm," Asami whispered low and gruff in his ear, as the whole of the slim back shivered." At last."

"Uhn, thats enough now!" the boy panted as his fragile body stilled at last.

"I thought," the older man showed his teeth in a crocodile grin as he continued to move." that I had only just found 'it'."

"Ow ow ow!" Aki started squirming again. "Please just stop!"

"But I am just beginning to enjoy myself, kitten." Asami growled softly, wielding his chopstick against the others delicate flesh without mercy.

"Ow! Stop!" Akihito grabbed it from the others hand with a scowl and a grumpy shunt of compulsion." I said enough, bastard!"

"You were enjoying it a moment ago." he defended his actions with a shrug and a leer running a large warm hand over the lithe body as the boy rose from his lap.

"Typical! Taking advantage of a poor cripple!" even as angry as he was, the boy still had a remarkably bonny face the older man thought." I would not have asked you if I could have reached it myself."

"You know" Asami replied, watching as his boy limped towards the door and knowing to his core that he would now far rather take that bullet than allow him to suffer as he had ever again. He knew that his lust and affection had grown over the last few weeks to something he dare not name, even to himself, so that all he could muster was to tease him to hide his own growing dependence on this virtual newcomer to his life." I enjoy helping you relieve any itch you might have at any time you like, Akihito."

"Well, this bloody cast had better be coming off this afternoon," Aki grumbled, slipping his arm into the dragon jacket sleeve as Asami tenderly helped him with it and to balance on his one good foot." or I am going to go crazy. Bring that damned chopstick with us in case I need to get you to scratch down the side of it again when we are in the car!"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your kudos and comments I cannot begin to tell you what a support and fun they were to read and receive. I hope you enjoyed reading this story almost as much as I did writing it. L.


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